DISH's Response to COVID-19

As the nation responds to the spread of COVID-19, DISH is working to ensure that our customers and team members remain safe, healthy and connected to vital news and information. We are also proud to offer a variety of content options, including free channels, to help keep Americans informed and entertained as they stay indoors and do their part to slow the spread of the Coronavirus. 

 

DISH is taking the following steps to support our customers and communities during this crisis. This page will be updated regularly as we continue our response.​

 

Enhancing Connectivity for Americans

 

DISH has provided the majority of our wireless spectrum to mobile carriers at no cost, helping enhance networks and improve connectivity for Americans. 

Read more here:
 

DISH Cares: Supporting our Communities

DISH Cares is dedicated to supporting the communities where we live and work. During this unprecedented time, we are committed to offering essential resources to those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Following are examples of ways we are giving back to our neighbors.

Creating Face Shields for Frontline Heathcare Workers in El Paso

Members of the DISH manufacturing team in El Paso have helped their local community during this crisis by assembling over 1,000 medical grade face shields to help protect frontline healthcare workers at the University Medical Center (UMC) of El Paso. DISH team members have been involved in engineering the assembly process, designing fixtures, constructing prototypes, training personnel, assembling the shields, and more. The team will  continue to build medical-grade face shields for UMC in the coming weeks, and plan to deliver 5,000 total. Check out local media coverage of the team’s efforts on KVIA, KTSM and KFOX in English and El Diario de El Paso and Telemundo in Spanish.

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Providing TVs to Families Experiencing Homelessness in Denver

To help support families experiencing homelessness in our hometown of Denver during this uncertain time, DISH has donated TVs to the Volunteers of America Colorado Family Motel. The motel offers struggling families a place to stay for up to two weeks while they plan for their future and make the transition to more permanent housing. Those experiencing homelessness are disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 crisis, and the donated TVs will go a long way to help these families stay informed and entertained while we continue to fight the pandemic.

Donating SLING TV Movie Rental Profits to Good360

SLING TV partnered with Good360, a nonprofit organization that provides personal protective equipment for healthcare workers, as well as household products to quarantined individuals and families. Through this partnership, SLING donated all movie rental profits through April 5 to help those in need during the COVID-19 crisis. Read more by clicking here.

DISH: Free Previews and Special Offerings

DISH understands that staying connected to the latest local and national news, while also unwinding through entertainment, is essential for our customers during this time. We are proud to offer numerous channels in “free preview” and provide our customers with special offerings.

  • Following is the full list of channels that DISH is providing customers in “free preview:" https://my.dish.com/perks/free-preview
  • DISH is also bringing the cinema to customers’ living rooms with the latest video on demand releases from NBC Universal and Lionsgate ($19.99 each)
    • 3/20 – Emma
    • 3/20 – The Hunt
    • 3/20 – The Invisible Man
    • 3/27 – I Still Believe
    • 4/10 – Trolls World Tour

DISH has worked with broadcasters we are currently in negotiations with to ensure availability of vital local news coverage. DISH is proud to provide local broadcast service to all 210 of the nation’s DMAs. For viewers in Southwest Colorado, we recently launched local news channels so that they can receive the latest regional and statewide coverage of COVID-19 in their home state.

 

SLING TV: Stay in & SLING

SLING TV, our live OTT service, is making every effort to help Americans stay informed, entertained and safe with its “Stay in & SLING” initiative, offering free news and entertainment with no paid subscription required.

Through the “Stay in & SLING” initiative, we’re also providing subscribers with channels in “free preview.”

Read more here:

 

Employee Support

We are committed to doing all we can to support the health and well-being of the DISH family. As the nation has taken aggressive actions to prevent the spread of COVID-19, we quickly adjusted our business to promote the safety of our team members, customers and our communities. 

Here are a few of the steps we’re taking to help protect our team:

  • Since the early days of the COVID-19 outbreak, we have significantly limited travel to “business critical” needs only. We were also quick to implement a robust illness reporting procedure to support team members who believed they, or someone they had been in contact with, were at risk of contracting the virus.
  • We have adjusted our attendance policies to support team members who may have been exposed to COVID-19.
  • Our In Home Services technicians are leading the way in how they interact with our customers. They’re taking extra precautions when visiting customers’ homes, including wearing gloves as much as possible, not shaking hands or handing off devices, and sanitizing areas as needed. If a technician is scheduled to visit your home, you can read more about how we are keeping customers safe here.
  • Once COVID-19 was detected in the U.S., we shifted roles that could be performed remotely to a “work at home” model. The majority of our corporate, sales and customer experience teams worked remotely and were equipped with the tools and resources needed to make the transition as smooth as possible. As we look to bring some team members back to our sites, we will continue to put strict safety measures in place, including those recommended by OSHA, the CDC, the State of Colorado and local governments. We will continue to closely monitor and apply any additional guidance they provide.

Recognizing that some of our teammates are unable to perform their essential duties from home, we have implemented a number of practices, including reconfiguring our operations to maintain social distancing. Protective measures include:

  • Maintaining at least a six-foot distance between team members;
  • Increased cleaning and sanitizing at all facilities, with a particular focus on high-touch surfaces;
  • Implementing rotating shifts and staggered work schedules where possible.

Should a site or work area close for cleaning, we will continue to pay impacted DISH team members until the site reopens. 

We continue to evaluate how to best support our teams during this challenging time. 

Resources for DISH Customers

Stay Connected to DISH

The best way to stay informed, manage your account, pay your DISH bill and more, is on my.dish.com. Set up an account if you don't already have one.

  • Once you set up your account, make sure you have an email address on file so we can send you important updates.
  • Manage your account and programming by visiting My Programming.
  • You can also download the MyDISH App, available in both English and Spanish.
  • If you’re experiencing a technical issue like signal loss or a black/blue snowy screen, check out our Troubleshooting section for helpful support videos.

What to Expect if a DISH Technician is Scheduled to Visit your Home

All of our technicians have been trained on procedures, including those recommended by the CDC, to promote cleanliness and to help prevent the spread of illness:

  • As always, if technicians have a known illness, they will not visit a customer’s home.
  • For your health and safety, technicians have been advised to not shake hands.
  • Our technicians will wear gloves as much as possible, and may need to clean or sanitize surfaces they touch during their visit. Technicians will also wear shoe covers inside your home.

If you or someone in your household is showing signs of illness, including fever or flu-like symptoms, we ask that you reschedule any upcoming technician visits to your home.

Rescheduling is easy, with the following options available:

  • Self-Service: visit the My Appointments page of your MyDISH account and click the "Reschedule" button to select a new date.
  • Speak with an Agent: call 800-333-DISH (3474).

If you are unable to reschedule before the technician arrives, we ask that you notify him or her before they enter your home. We empower our technicians to make decisions regarding their personal health and safety, including ending appointments early if anyone in the household is showing symptoms of flu or other contagious illnesses.

Of course, we ask all of our personnel to rigorously practice the fundamentals outlined by the CDC:

  • Staying home when sick
  • Washing hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, or using hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol content
  • Covering coughs and sneezes with a tissue or upper sleeve
  • Cleaning commonly touched surfaces and objects, including tools

For your health and well-being, we hope you are following those guidelines, as well.

Resources for DISH Business Partners

DISH Business cares about our customers and is deeply concerned about the COVID-19 health crisis. We realize the unprecedented impact this is having on businesses across the country, and we are committed to working with our partners to provide meaningful solutions that will bring relief during this time of need.

We also recognize that every business is impacted differently by COVID-19. To learn more about how DISH can best serve you, please contact your DISH Business representative or call 1-800-454-0843.