Coalition, WIA Applaud FCC Action to Clarify Trust Fund Qualifying Claims

Today the FCC released an order, following comments from WIA and the American Wireless Builders Coalition, to make clear the $2.4 billion EchoStar/DISH trust fund can only be used for reimbursing entities that performed the work of building EchoStar’s 5G network. The order is available here: https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-26-797A1.pdf.

The American Wireless Builders Coalition released the following statement: “The American Wireless Builders Coalition applauds the FCC for taking decisive action to ensure the Trust Fund designed for the companies that built the DISH 5G network is not swallowed up by bogus claims from DISH/EchoStar.  We appreciate the Commission moving quickly to guard against EchoStar unjustly enriching itself on the backs of America’s wireless builders.”

Wireless Infrastructure Association released the following statement from Mike Saperstein, SVP, Government Affairs and Chief Strategy Officer, WIA: “Today the FCC took clear, commonsense action to protect the Trust Fund it established to pay the companies that built DISH’s 5G network.  This order ensures those dollars go to the hard-working infrastructure providers that earned payment and are not absurdly consumed by DISH/EchoStar to benefit itself.”