Dish Network offers $1 billion to buy a bankrupt satellite/antenna company for reasons only it knows

Dish Network has agreed to buy DBSD, a company currently in Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection that's reportedly working on a system to tie together satellite and ground-based antenna communication for wireless phone and internet service, pending approval by the FCC. Dish pegs the purchase price at approximately $1,000,000,000 (subject to certain adjustments) including the interest on DBSD's debts. Exactly what its plans for the company are remain a mystery, as The Hollywood Reporter quotes mystified analysts like Craig Moffett suggesting theories including wireless internet service, mobile TV, or an integrated satellite/phone/TV bundle to compete with cable operators. SpaceNews.com has the most extensive breakdown, from Dish's initial $45 million investment back in 2009, to the recent FCC decision on a similar hybrid service from LightSquared that may have caused DBSD's spectrum & technology to suddenly become much more valuable. Whatever it is, they considered it worth writing an awful large check for, although we can't help but wonder if they couldn't have broken some of that money off to deal with this whole TiVo issue.

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