Dish Network Corp Chief Executive Charlie Ergen and Amazon.com Inc head Jeff Bezos have discussed a partnership to enter the wireless business, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter.
Amazon could help bankroll a network Dish is building focused on the “Internet of Things”, and could possibly offer its Prime members an option to pay a little more per month for a connectivity or phone plan, the Journal reported on Thursday, citing one person. (on.wsj.com/2tkK0ic)
Amazon could also offer a one-way broadcast signal for its Prime video on Dish’s airwaves, the paper said, citing a person close to Dish’s plans.
Dish has been buying up spectrum, or radio frequencies that carry the data flowing through devices, making it a potential acquisition target for U.S. wireless carriers such as Verizon Communications Inc, according to industry analysts.
An acquisition of Dish by Amazon is highly unlikely, the WSJ report added. Amazon and Dish were not immediately available for comment.
Analysts have said that the telecoms and cable sectors are primed for a wave of deal activity, and executives have openly talked about potential mergers.
U.S. wireless company Sprint Corp was reportedly holding talks with peer T-Mobile US Inc, before putting those plans on ice to explore a wireless partnership with Charter Communications Inc and Comcast Corp.
by Anya George Tharakan in Bengaluru; Editing by Saumyadeb Chakrabarty
