FCC Grants EchoStar Request for 5G Buildout Extension

WASHINGTON, Sept. 23, 2024 – The Federal Communications Commission approved EchoStar’s request to extend the deadline for its 5G deployment Friday, just three days after the company asked.

The company asked for a new deadline of December 14, 2026 – originally mid-2025 – to finish deploying certain spectrum blocks in exchange for meeting national coverage milestones quicker.

That would get pushed to 2028 in exchange for certain public interest commitments. Those include a nationwide low-cost plan, coming in at $25 per month for 30 gigabytes of data, allowing small carriers and Tribal governments to lease its spectrum, and deploying more 5G towers.