GUAYNABO, Puerto Rico -- Oct. 9, 2017 -- (BUSINESS WIRE)--Following the worst hurricane to hit Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands in nearly a century, DISH is responding to serve customers and communities impacted by the storm.

“The damage from Hurricane Maria has been unimaginable, and we want to make it clear to our customers that they will not be charged for service they can’t receive during this time,” said Reynaldo Pagani, General Manager of DISH Puerto Rico. “Right now, our top priority is ensuring our customers, employees and retail partners are safe and cared for, while helping deliver satellite internet to crucial relief sites.”

Given the magnitude of destruction following Hurricane Maria and the widespread lack of power, DISH is temporarily pausing television service for affected customers in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. This ensures that customers will not be charged for TV service that they cannot receive.

If a customer would like to prevent their service from being paused, or if they want to resume their TV service before DISH lifts the temporary pause, customers can call DISH at 1-888-213-5727 for support in Spanish or English, or they can email connect@dish.com. Customers in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands are eligible for credits for time without service, and can discuss their specific situation with a customer service representative. DISH will provide free repair or replacement of satellite dishes and other related equipment damaged by the storm. Technicians will restore and install DISH services as neighborhoods are declared safe and power becomes available.

“As we support our customers, DISH Cares, our corporate social responsibility program, is assisting in recovery efforts with crucial communication tools serving the broader community,” added Pagani. “Together with our partners, we’ve set up multiple satellite internet connections including at a hospital, a fire house and a mobile command center for first responders.”

DISH Cares, in partnership with Information Technology Disaster Resource Center (ITDRC), is working to provide satellite broadband in the hardest hit areas. ITDRC is currently operating directly out of DISH’s Puerto Rico office, and so far, the teams have installed HughesNet (a DISH internet partner) at a hospital in Cataño, a fire department in Moca, a school in Ponce, and a mobile command center in Utuado.

Since 2015, together with ITDRC, DISH Cares has donated more than 245,000 hours of internet and television services to disaster relief efforts, including most recently to areas in Texas and Florida impacted by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma.

About DISH

DISH Network Corp. (NASDAQ:DISH), through its subsidiaries, provides approximately 13.332 million pay-TV subscribers, as of June 30, 2017, with the highest-quality programming and technology with the most choices at the best value. DISH offers a high definition line-up with more than 200 national HD channels, the most international channels and award-winning HD and DVR technology. DISH Network Corporation is a Fortune 200 company. Visit www.dish.com.

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