US DTH provider Dish Network has made multiple management changes aimed at helping the company to achieve its new strategic goals, which include entering the wireless space. Meanwhile, it has won approval from the global wireless standards authority to make some of its satellite spectrum available for cellular use.
Dish Network (NASDAQ:DISH) has made major management changes to help the US DTH provider achieve its new strategic goals, including entry into the wireless space. It has also won approval from the global wireless standards authority to make some of its satellite spectrum available for cellular use.
Chairman and CEO Charlie Ergen (pictured) has relinquished the role of president, which will be taken up by Erik Carlson, EVP of operations, Dish said in an SEC filing. Carlson, who joined the company nearly two decades ago, just before its first satellite launch, has also been appointed chief operating officer (COO). Reporting to Ergen, he will oversee all revenue generating, operating and administrative units, including customer acquisition and retention, finance and accounting, HR, marketing, media sales, programming and the new technology office.
The company’s current COO, Bernie Han, will become EVP of strategic planning, also reporting to Ergen. He started in the pay-tv business in 2006, when he joined Dish as CFO.
Ergen said Han’s “unparalleled depth as an operational and financial leader will be indispensable as we advance our work on the strategic transformation of Dish, including our entry into the wireless industry”.
Other management changes will see Vivek Khemka promoted to the role of EVP and chief technology officer; Brian Neylon become EVP of customer acquisition and retention, Warren Schlichting become EVP of marketing, programming and media sales; Paul Orbanbecome chief accounting officer; and John Swieringa replace Carlson as EVP of operations.
Wins wireless spectrum compatibility ruling
Dish executive VP of corporate development Tom Cullen described the Third Generation Part Project’s (3GPP) decision to open up its Band 66 spectrum to mobile coverage as “a win for the public”, and “critical step forward on the path to deployment and commercialisation”.
“We’re very pleased with the adoption of Band 66 by the industry,” he said. “Interoperability of different spectrum bands increases network capacity and is an important priority for the FCC.”
The Band 66 spectrum, previously available only for satellite use, includes AWS-4 downlink, AWS-1 and paired AWS-3 airwaves.
3GPP has also completed a feasibility study into making a second band of Dish’s spectrum mobile compatible. This would include its remaining AWS-4 and H Block airwaves.
“Similar to Band 66, the proposed band includes a greater proportion of downlink spectrum relative to uplink,” Cullen said. “By pairing the AWS-3 uplink spectrum with valuable downlink spectrum on an asymmetrical basis, the overall utility of the spectrum will be enhanced to the benefit of consumers as the growth of applications like mobile video continue to require more downlink capacity.”
Dish said it will continue to work with 3GPP to finalise this new band in 2016.
The company has invested billions of dollars in acquiring licences for 75 MHz of spectrum nationwide, covering more than 23 billion MHz-POPs. It acquired a large chunk of satellite spectrum when it bought satellite companies DBSD and Terrestar.
