EchoStar, DirecTV Possible Partners
Joyzelle Davis reports in the Rocky Mountain News:
EchoStar Communications’ Chief Executive Charlie Ergen gave the strongest indication yet that the satellite-television provider would team with larger rival DirecTV to establish a broadband service.
DirecTV, whose controlling shareholder is Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp., is working on technology that could allow it to offer services including phone and wireless high-speed Internet to homes and mobile devices. That would give satellite-TV providers a way to counter cable companies’ bundle of video, high-speed Internet and phone service….
A partnership would allow EchoStar to split the "excessive" costs of building the network and help craft standards for the industry, Ergen said…
If such a partnership were to occur, it would mark the first strategic alliance between the companies that sought to merge four years ago.
Read more about the plan here.
