Verizon wants a part of Boost Mobile’s spectrum

A short while ago, AT&T bought spectrum from EchoStar, the company that operates in the U.S. under the carrier Boost Mobile. Now, Verizon also wants a piece of EchoStar’s spectrum, and is in talks with the company, though this acquisition will be different to the AT&T deal.

Boost Mobile gave up on trying to be the nation’s fourth major carrier, and instead adopted a hybrid system where most of its operations would use the AT&T network. This doesn’t mean that Boost won’t use other networks when needed like before, but it does mean that AT&T gets priority. Due to the acquisition, some Boost and AT&T customers may have also noticed an improvement in their service, as more towers local to their area were brought into the fold.

Verizon has no such plans, unfortunately. The company wants to buy spectrum that will improve its own 5G services — which is a win for existing Verizon customers — but no improvements will be felt for Boost Mobile users.

As expected, and much like what happened when the AT&T acquisition was made public, EchoStar shares began climbing when Verizon’s intentions were first reported (subscription required). As of now, there is no indication that EchoStar plans on shutting down its Boost Mobile brand, or giving up its carrier in any way, despite the reduced ambitions.

EchoStar holds a large amount of spectrum across the United States, something that it once planned to put to good use for Boost. Now, we can expect more deals like this to take place in the near future, as all of that spectrum will be going to waste otherwise.

It does feel like it’s the end of an era, what with Boost no longer looking to become an equal contender to T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon. The feeling only grows stronger, seeing the spectrum meant for Boost being divided amongst the top dogs.

But hey, if this acquisition improves Verizon’s services in some regions, I’ll take it. The company already has a lot of sour customers looking to switch the moment their discounts run out, so maybe this will help with retention for a little while longer.

“Iconic Phones” is coming this Fall!

Rediscover some of the most unique and memorable phones of the last two decades! “Iconic Phones” is a beautifully illustrated book that we’ve been working on for over a year – and it’s coming out in just a couple short month!