A new economic impact study warns that EchoStar/DISH’s decision to unilaterally walk away from its long‑term tower lease obligations could trigger severe financial harm across the U.S. wireless ecosystem, hitting not just infrastructure providers large and small, but consumers, small businesses, and the nation’s competitiveness. The Brattle Group analysis finds that DISH’s default represents a 5-7% annual revenue shock to tower companies nationwide. To recover the loss and offset increased financing costs, tower companies are faced with the need to increase rents for remaining carriers by 6–11%, costs that would ultimately flow through to consumers in the form of higher wireless bills.
If DISH is allowed to unilaterally walk away from its contracts and tower companies are unable to recover lost DISH revenues through higher lease rates, the alternative is a reduction in capital expenditure and possible job cuts – consequences that are damaging to the long-term health of the U.S. telecommunications ecosystem. A shock of this magnitude could delay upgrades, slow 5G densification, and constrain rural expansion — effects felt most acutely by communities already struggling with coverage gaps and small tower companies, many of them family-owned or regionally operated.
Industry leaders warn that allowing the default to stand would directly undermine Chairman Carr’s “Build America” infrastructure agenda, which prioritizes accelerating wireless buildout, strengthening domestic infrastructure, and ensuring U.S. leadership in next‑generation networks.
“This is a pivotal moment,” said Patrick Halley, President and CEO for the Wireless Infrastructure Association, which represents the companies and workers who build, maintain, and upgrade America’s wireless networks. “The data makes clear what could happen if EchoStar’s shell game plays out – potential job cuts, higher costs for consumers, delayed wireless investments especially in rural areas, and a risk to America’s leadership in wireless.”
The human impact is already visible. More than 40 affected businesses – tower owners, contractors, fiber providers, and property owners – have formed a coalition and contacted their Members of Congress detailing the consequences for jobs and infrastructure projects in their districts.
The message is clear: if the FCC approves EchoStar’s proposed $40+ billion spectrum sale to AT&T and SpaceX without safeguards, billions in unpaid obligations could be permanently shifted onto workers, vendors, and consumers.
To learn more about the coalition’s efforts, please visit: https://wirelessbuilders.org/.
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