Verizon and AT&T win big in 700MHz auction - Dish's Plans?

[ts7]

Verizon and AT&T win big in 700MHz auction - Click here

Nothing terribly new here, but a little more insight into the entire 700MHz auction. Here is the part of the article dealing directly with Dish...

The biggest surprise of the auction was that Dish Network, the satellite television company, bid $711 million for 168 wireless licenses. Dish declined to tell the newspaper what it planned to do with the frequencies, citing government rules that restrict bidders from explaining their strategy until they make their down payments on their winning bids. Those payments are due April 3.

Analysts speculated that Dish was likely to offer some sort of video service. It could be a video-on-demand service to satellite TV customers, some suggested. Others guessed that the company might provide a video service for cell phones. It is less likely to enter the mobile telephone business because the frequencies Dish bought are less appropriate for two-way communications than the other frequencies that were sold.

If a Dish/AT&T merger were to happen, it would give the combined company a major, if not large majority, share of the 700MHz spectrum, though in different ranges. That Dish is not saying anything, blaming "government rules" I guess is typical or Charlie, but it does leave some interesting possibilities.