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Dish Network and EchoStar Corporation have announced their agreement to combine operations, following approval by both boards of directors. The merger aims to leverage Dish’s spectrum and EchoStar’s technological capabilities to amplify 5G private networks. The new executive chairman, Charlie Ergen, stated that the merger will bring together satellite communication and terrestrial communications into a 5G cloud-native platform.

The combined company will be headquartered in Colorado, with EchoStar’s CEO Hamid Akhavan serving as the president and CEO. The company has a total of 18 million subscribers across its various customer brands.

Akhavan expressed that the merger will enable the company to offer a more attractive and higher quality offering in the 5G private network market. He acknowledged the challenges of combining satellite and telecom but emphasized that the company was designed to incorporate a satellite component.

Ergen founded EchoStar in 1980 as a satellite TV distributor, which later developed into the Dish Network brand. In 2008, Dish Network became a separate entity. Subsequently, EchoStar sold its satellite broadcast business to Dish in 2019. Ergen sees the merger as a strategic move for long-term growth and building a sustainable business.

In other news, a recent study conducted by accounting firm Forvis revealed that over half of the rural telecoms in the United States received broadband grants in 2022. Of the 167 rural internet providers surveyed, 85 received grants totaling approximately 0 million. This represents a significant increase compared to 2021 when 69 companies received grants totaling 6 million. The study highlighted the growing interest in state-administered and federal broadband grant programs.

Additionally, the Federal Election Commission (FEC) has voted unanimously to seek comments on potential rule clarifications regarding the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in political campaigns. This move comes in response to petitions by consumer advocacy group Public Citizen, urging the FEC to address the issue of deceptive AI campaign communications. The use of generative AI and deepfakes in campaign content has raised concerns regarding fraudulent misrepresentation. The FEC’s decision sets a timeline that could lead to a possible rule change before the 2024 presidential election. Several lawmakers have expressed support and emphasized the need for safeguards against the deceptive use of AI technology in elections.

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