ENGLEWOOD, Colo., Nov. 30, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- DISH announced today that it has signed agreements with four fiber vendors, Everstream, Segra, Uniti and Zayo, giving DISH fronthaul and backhaul support to connect its 5G network to sites covering approximately 60 million Americans.

With these agreements, DISH gains access to fiber coast-to-coast, providing it the coverage, speed and bandwidth needed to connect its forthcoming markets to the nation's first cloud-native, Open RAN-based 5G network.

"The fiber agreements with Everstream, Segra, Uniti and Zayo are critical to helping DISH build our 5G network more quickly and cost-effectively than legacy deployments," said Jeff McSchooler, DISH executive vice president of wireless network operations. "Today's announcement marks an important milestone in DISH's deployment process, adding to our strong roster of industry-leading tower, radio, software and now fiber vendors."

"Everstream is proud to be chosen by DISH as a fiber infrastructure provider throughout our current and expansion markets. We are thrilled that our proven track record of building, installing and maintaining backhaul and fronthaul cellular networks will serve a strategic role as DISH becomes the country's fourth facilities-based wireless provider," said Everstream president and CEO Brett Lindsey. "Given our extensive reach, network density and ability to deliver low latency, high capacity connectivity, Everstream is uniquely positioned to serve as the partner of choice for DISH in the Midwest."

"We are delighted to be a valued network infrastructure partner with DISH in building out its 5G network throughout the Mid-Atlantic and southeast regions of the US," stated Tim Biltz, Segra's Chief Executive Officer. "Segra's extensive fiber network provides the capacity, scalability and reliability to deliver advanced fiber-based solutions and power DISH's 5G network for years to come."

"Uniti has worked diligently with DISH to develop a partnership that will provide strategic value to both parties," said Kenny Gunderman, President and CEO of Uniti Group. "We are excited to be given this opportunity to partner with DISH and our ability to leverage Uniti's existing dense fiber infrastructure to support DISH's 5G deployment over the next several years."

"Zayo is excited to partner with DISH as they establish the framework for 5G, helping to set the standard for completely seamless wireless networks that will enable the disruptive technologies which will shape our future - including IoT, smart cities, connected vehicles and more," said Steve Smith, CEO, Zayo Group. "We are proud to leverage Zayo's deep, dense metro and long-haul fiber networks to meet the bandwidth demands of 5G and to advance the technological innovations of the future."

About DISH

DISH Network Corporation is a connectivity company. Since 1980, it has served as a disruptive force, driving innovation and value on behalf of consumers. Through its subsidiaries, the company provides television entertainment and award-winning technology to millions of customers with its satellite DISH TV and streaming SLING TV services. In 2020, the company became a nationwide U.S. wireless carrier through the acquisition of Boost Mobile. DISH continues to innovate in wireless, building the nation's first cloud-native, Open RAN-based 5G broadband network. DISH Network Corporation (NASDAQ: DISH) is a Fortune 250 company.

About Everstream®

Everstream has raised the bar for business connectivity, delivering a business-only fiber network with the speed, reliability, scale and performance that today's enterprises demand. With more than 15,000 route miles of fiber and speeds up to 100 Gbps, Everstream's enterprise-grade network delivers robust business fiber services, including dedicated internet access, dark fiber, Ethernet and data center solutions. Through its "Do What You Say You Will Do" approach, Everstream is a valued partner dedicated to the success of business customers. For more information, visit everstream.net.

About Segra

Segra is one of the largest independent fiber infrastructure bandwidth companies in the Eastern U.S. It owns and operates an advanced fiber infrastructure network throughout nine Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern states. Segra provides Ethernet, MPLS, dark fiber, advanced data center services, IP and managed services, voice and cloud solutions, all backed by its industry-leading service and reliability. Customers include carriers, enterprises, governments, higher education and healthcare organizations. For more information about Segra's technology and commitment to customer care, visit segra.com.

About Uniti

Uniti, an internally managed real estate investment trust, is engaged in the acquisition and construction of mission critical communications infrastructure, and is a leading provider of wireless infrastructure solutions for the communications industry. As of September 30, 2020, Uniti owns 6.7 million fiber strand miles and other communications real estate throughout the United States. Additional information about Uniti can be found on its website at www.uniti.com.

About Zayo

Zayo Group Holdings, Inc. provides mission-critical bandwidth to the world's most impactful companies, fueling the innovations that are transforming our society. Zayo's 133,000-mile network in North America and Europe includes extensive metro connectivity to thousands of buildings and data centers. Zayo's communications infrastructure solutions include dark fiber, private data networks, wavelengths, Ethernet, dedicated internet access and data center connectivity solutions. Zayo owns and operates a Tier 1 IP backbone and through its CloudLink service, Zayo provides low-latency private connectivity that attaches enterprises to their public cloud environments. Zayo serves wireless and wireline carriers, media, tech, content, finance, healthcare and other large enterprises. For more information, visit zayo.com.

SOURCE DISH Network Corporation