Echostar prepares potential bankruptcy filing

[Yespage]

In what way was my post political?

Some people have a hair trigger on politics here, which includes any mention of government. Obviously, one can not mention the FCC without mentioning the government.

 

[llokey]

In what way was my post political?

Quoting the article you shared "FCC Chairman Brendan Carr is directing EchoStar to sell AWS-4 spectrum assets, holdings that happen to be coveted by Elon Musk's SpaceX, reports Bloomberg." Note the word directing. Hence the government is directing a private company what to do. If offering an opinion that is challenging this statement is political, then the original post is political.

Actually IMHO (which doesn't matter), neither one is political.

 

[telstar_1]

Is Dish actually using the spectrum?.. if not...there is a law against buying spectrum just to sell it for profit ( instead of actually using it and selling it as part of a network)

Not a law, but effectively so. A contractual obligation. Absolutely he cannot simply sell any of the spectrum, that was rule 1 of the auctions, no reselling. Also he has to make commercially effective use of the spectrum by certain deadlines (which are now passing) or surrender it without recompense. That is, presumably IF and WHEN the gov't (FCC) should opt to exercise the obligation. Finally, and I don't know the answer to this, but there could be language as to deployment that would limit it to terrestrial use...or there may not, and he's now going to try for a starlink.

 

[telstar_1]

Quoting the article you shared "FCC Chairman Brendan Carr is directing EchoStar to sell AWS-4 spectrum assets, holdings that happen to be coveted by Elon Musk's SpaceX, reports Bloomberg." Note the word directing. Hence the government is directing a private company what to do. If offering an opinion that is challenging this statement is political, then the original post is political.

Actually IMHO (which doesn't matter), neither one is political.

Unless I completely misunderstood things, C had to put the spectrum to gainful work by a deadline or lose it altogether- not be paid back for having it taken back. What would be the risk in that? He could then drag out using it without real penalty. Gov't wants both its $ as well as the spectrum to go into productive use.

 

[Juan]

Unless I completely misunderstood things, C had to put the spectrum to gainful work by a deadline or lose it altogether- not be paid back for having it taken back. What would be the risk in that? He could then drag out using it without real penalty. Gov't wants both its $ as well as the spectrum to go into productive use.

The actual " problem " is the entity that wants to put the spectrum into productive use

 

[telstar_1]

Well the gov't in its wisdom decided that the "airwaves" which, per the 1934 Communications Act, "belong to the people," are better sold off to the highest industrial bidder as long as he uses them to commercial gain. I don't remember if or what "collatoral" gov't may have req'd of bidders in the way of a showing of capability to employ spectrum after winning it, and there may have been effectively little. As far as I recall they simply or most largely just relied on their no-resale and must-use-or-lose rules. Charlie's as good as the next crook with enough bucks to bid.

The gov't at this point would be engaging in waste if it simply allowed Ergen to sell at a possible profit. It needs to claw back the spectrum, if nothing else as a cautionary example to future bidders, and then auction it over again to realize today's higher valuation.