Thanks to T-Mobile’s purchase of Sprint, Dish got its hands on Sprints pre-paid businesses such as Boost Mobile, adding over 9 million subscribers, 400 employees, and 7,500 stores, and signed a 7-year deal with T-Mobile so that it could access its 5G networks as an MVNO. Having also bought Ting Mobile from Tucows in September, Dish has announced that a deal is in place to purchase Republic Wireless.
The deal should be completed by the end of Q2 of 2021, and will add a further 200,000 subscribers to Dish’s numbers. According to Dish, Republic Wireless subscribers won’t see any immediate changes to their plans, but that doesn’t mean that changes aren’t on the menu.
“Republic has created a loyal following and established a brand known for innovation, customer service and value. We plan to build upon that strong foundation,” said John Swieringa, group president, Retail Wireless and DISH COO. “As we continue to grow our retail wireless business, Republic broadens our existing customer base and positions us to deliver even more value to the market, expanding our portfolio of mobile solutions to meet a variety of customer needs. We look forward to welcoming Republic customers to the DISH family.”
Purchasing Republic Wireless shows that Dish is still trying to become a viable competitor to Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile, but until its standalone 5G networks are complete it’s likely to remain an MVNO.
