The U.S. Federal Communications Commission will terminate its investigation into EchoStar’s 5G buildout obligations in the country, according to a regulatory filing from the company on Tuesday.
The highly expected move follows EchoStar’s $17 billion deal to sell wireless spectrum to billionaire Elon Musk’s SpaceX and comes about two weeks after it announced a $23 billion spectrum sale to AT&T.
In a letter to EchoStar Chairman Charles Ergen on Monday, FCC Chair Brendan Carr wrote he had asked the agency staff to close the investigation and conclude that EchoStar has satisfied its buildout obligations.
Carr said he also directed the staff to confirm EchoStar’s exclusive rights to a key spectrum block for ground and satellite use.
EchoStar, co-founded by telecommunications entrepreneur Ergen, faced the probe over slow deployment of 5G services.
SpaceX had also asked FCC to review EchoStar’s spectrum holdings, saying the telecommunications company might be “warehousing” valuable spectrum, which is not used to provide services.
The transactions with AT&T and SpaceX continue to remain subject to FCC approval, the company said in the filing.
