Here’s How the Dish Network is Helping America Stay Connected in the Time of Coronavirus

04/16/2020
Brought to you by WBR Insight


Ever since the SARS-COV-2 coronavirus came along, ruined everyone’s plans and essentially put the world on pause, people have had to make the most of this unique and difficult situation. The virus has caused many deaths but, due to people following the advice of health experts, the number of cases is starting to slow.

The most common and helpful method of fighting the spread of coronavirus and the COVID-19 disease it causes is for ordinary people who don’t work in essential industries such as supermarkets or healthcare to stay at home. They must also avoid social situations and contact with people outside of their household as much as possible, and work from home if the nature of their job will allow it. Many governments have put special support measures in place to help people manage their finances if they are unable to work during this time.

Naturally, the increased number of people staying at home means additional pressure is being put on other related services, which is why several companies are stepping up to help relieve it.

Dish

One such company is Englewood, Colorado-based television provider, Dish. Due to millions of people all over America being stuck inside and only able to communicate with friends and family by phone or social media, the demands on network carriers has increased exponentially — both in terms of 4G and LTE connectivity.

Dish was already poised to become a major player in the US mobile provider market this year thanks to a significant merger with T-Mobile and Sprint. With the demand for cable-based television services waning in favor of online streaming providers such as Netflix and Disney+, brands such as Dish are having to evolve to remain relevant.

One thing Dish does already possess is a vast amount of infrastructure relating to its spectrum holdings. And, to help those mobile networks which are struggling to meet the unprecedented demand presented by the outbreak, Dish is making these spectrum holdings available to three major mobile communications providers — Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile — to use to shore up their 4G and LTE networks.

In preparation for its entry into the mobile market, Dish has spent the last few years buying up and catching public airwaves. It has now seen the opportunity to do some good by significantly boosting the performance of 4G and LTE networks across all major US cities for the next 60 days of the crisis. Each carrier is getting a chunk of bandwidth which fits with its existing network. As the only network presently using it, T-Mobile is getting low-band Band 71 spectrum, and Verizon is getting some Band 66 AWS-3 spectrum, for example.

Speaking on the imminent Sprint merger, T-Mobile CEO, John Legere said, “I’m pleased that right now we have broad support from the banks to finance the closing of this merger — we are very close to unleashing the capabilities of the New T-Mobile, and that is even more important for consumers during the current COVID-19 pandemic. Our nation is more dependent than ever on connectivity, and we will continue to deliver our essential wireless service today and when we merge with Sprint, with a Nationwide 5G service that is broader and more robust than anything else in America.”

The merger is set to complete even while the coronavirus pandemic is still in full effect and will help Dish bring next-generation connectivity to even more people than before.

Field Service

Dish is also continuing to provide its field service offerings to customers to keep them connected and able to enjoy a range of shows and movies during the pandemic. However, it has put in several steps to help protect its staff and customers from the possibility of infection, asking its technicians to:

  • Stay home when sick
  • Wash hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, or use hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol content
  • Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue or upper sleeve
  • Clean commonly touched surfaces and objects, including tools

Dish is also asking customers to be considerate of engineers by not expecting them to shake hands, giving them space to carry out their work, and canceling appointments if they feel unwell for any reason. Engineers are also being asked to wear disposable gloves as much as possible and shoe coverings when entering a customer’s home.

Final Thoughts

Communication is going to continue to be a key factor in helping people stave off feelings of isolation during the coronavirus lockdown and it’s thanks to companies such as Dish that more people are going to be able to connect than ever before.

The COVID-19 crisis is sure to be a hot topic at Field Service Amelia Island 2020, taking place in August at The Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island, FL. Please download the agenda today for more information and insights.

Download the agenda today for more information and insights.



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