Dish Network announced plans on Monday to acquire Republic Wireless, a mobile virtual network operator with more than 200,000 subscribers.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, and Dish acknowledged the proposed acquisition is still subject to regulatory scrutiny and approval before it closes.
“Republic has created a loyal following and established a brand known for innovation, customer service and value. We plan to build upon that strong foundation,” John Swieringa, an executive in charge of retail wireless relationships at Dish Network, said in a statement. “As we continue to grow our retail wireless business, Republic broadens our existing customer base and positions us to deliver even more value to the market, expanding our portfolio of mobile solutions to meet a variety of customer needs.”
Launched in 2011, Republic Wireless offers wireless phone and data services on the backbone of T-Mobile’s network. Dish Network’s proposed acquisition of Republic Wireless is the second such deal with a prepaid brand in less than a year; last August, the company announced a deal to acquire Ting Mobile, which also operates on the T-Mobile network.
Should the Republic Wireless deal close, Dish Network said customers with existing service under that brand would not notice an immediate change. Presumably, those customers would eventually be switched over to the company’s own 5G wireless network, which it’s currently building after acquiring the prepaid brand Boost Mobile from Sprint last year.
Dish says it believes it will secure the necessary approval to close on the Republic Wireless deal by the second quarter of 2021.
