Judge Terminates EchoStar Obligation to Run a Mobile Network After Spectrum Sales
The requirement was a condition of the T-Mobile-Sprint merger in 2020.
WASHINGTON, July 17, 2026 – At the Justice Department’s request, a federal judge has rescinded the legal requirement that EchoStar build and operate a mobile network.
The legal condition was part of the Justice Department’s approval of the 2020 T-Mobile-Sprint deal, in which EchoStar subsidiary Dish took over Sprint’s prepaid business and some spectrum for $5 billion. The agency was trying to preserve competition in the mobile marketplace while approving a large merger.
