AT&T said on July 28 that it had closed its previously announced roughly US$23 billion purchase of wireless spectrum licenses from EchoStar, a US satellite and wireless company.

The deal adds about 30 MHz of nationwide 3.45 GHz mid-band spectrum and about 20 MHz of nationwide 600 MHz low-band spectrum across virtually every US market.

The mix matters because 3.45 GHz mid-band airwaves can add capacity while still covering long distances.

By contrast, 600 MHz low-band spectrum improves broad-area coverage and reaches indoors more easily, though it offers less bandwidth.

The Federal Communications Commission approved the transfer on May 12, 2026.

The regulator said the broader EchoStar sales were pro-competitive and in the public interest, while requiring AT&T to extend 600 MHz coverage to 40% of the population covered by its 600 MHz licenses within three years.

It also ordered EchoStar to place US$2.4 billion in escrow for litigation tied to Dish’s abandoned 5G buildout.

The purchase also converts some 3.45 GHz spectrum that AT&T had been leasing into owned licenses.

AT&T also repeated the financial outlook and capital allocation plan from its second-quarter 2026 earnings release.

🔗 Source: AT&T