Dish Will Build 5G Network Using Amazon Web Services

Dish is partnering with Amazon Web Services to deploy 5G, starting in Las Vegas later this year.

This will be the world’s first wireless network to run on a public cloud, rather than private data centers. Dish says cloud 5G (buzzword bingo) lets developers easily check network attributes like latency, bit rate, and equipment location—and build more responsive 5G services as a result.

• Dish’s shortlist of ideas: AR gaming “experiences,” contextual advertising, and controlling “the movements of a robot at a disaster site.”

Less robot talk, more context

Back when they tied the magenta knot, T-Mobile and Sprint cleared the way for Dish to enter the US wireless market. The merging carriers had to divest some spectrum to Dish and let it piggyback on their network for a bit.

This gave Dish leeway to make good on its commitment to build a nationwide 5G network by mid-2023. Easy peasy. Really the only problem there is that Dish has to build a nationwide 5G network.

• Running a software-defined show on the cloud could be more efficient and cost-effective. We’ll also be able to see if there are any pain points, from bandwidth to security, with this new technology stack.

Time travel: 14 months ago, we wrote that “5G buildouts now lie in the hands of three major US carriers and Dish in a distant fourth.” Still a similar story today. —RD