Commitments and Contingencies (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2024

Commitments and Contingencies

Schedule of future maturities of long-term debt, finance lease and contractual obligations

	Payments Due in the Years Ending December 31,
	Total		2025		2026		2027		2028		2029		Thereafter
	(In thousands)
Long-term debt obligations	$	21,778,720	$	908,009	$	10,455,195	$	4,341,543	$	3,549,860	$	1,502,650	$	1,021,463
Interest expense on long-term debt (1)		5,030,019		1,639,592		1,563,992		918,593		474,955		233,360		199,527
Finance lease obligations (2)		67,199		30,381		34,290		2,528		—		—		—
Interest expense on finance lease obligations (2)		7,355		5,011		2,298		46		—		—		—
Other long-term obligations (3)		9,689,749		1,882,823		1,481,336		1,157,410		1,023,439		979,359		3,165,382
Operating lease obligations (2)		5,684,284		545,077		577,160		579,203		536,551		523,216		2,923,077
Purchase obligations		2,212,259		2,207,381		4,820		58		—		—		—
Total	$	44,469,585	$	7,218,274	$	14,119,091	$	6,999,381	$	5,584,805	$	3,238,585	$	7,309,449

(1) Includes interest expense on the EchoStar 2024 Intercompany Loan due 2030 based on the December 31, 2024 amount outstanding plus interest paid in kind and assuming all future interest payments are paid in kind at the annual interest rate. See Note 9 for further information.

(2) See Note 8 for further information on leases.

(3) Represents minimum contractual commitments related to communication tower obligations, certain 5G Network Deployment commitments, obligations under the NSA with AT&T and the MNSA with T-Mobile, certain wireless device purchases and marketing obligations, radios, software and integration services and satellite related and other obligations.

Summary of Wireless Spectrum Licenses

			Build-Out Deadlines
				Final
	Carrying Amount		Interim	Accelerated License Areas	Extension License Areas	Expiration Date
	(In thousands)
Owned:
DBS Licenses (1)	$	677,409
600 MHz Licenses		6,192,575		December 31, 2024 (3)	June 14, 2025 (5)	June 2029
3.45–3.55 GHz Licenses		7,329,093	May 4, 2026 (6)		May 4, 2030 (6)	May 2037
1695-1710 MHz, 1755-1780 MHz and 2155-2180 MHz (2)		972				March 2026
AWS-3		5,557,828		December 31, 2024 (4)	October 25, 2025 (7)	October 2025 (7)
Subtotal owned		19,757,877
Noncontrolling Investments:
SNR		4,271,459		December 31, 2024 (4)	October 2025 (7)	October 2025 (7)
Capitalized Interest (8)		6,811,062
Total Regulatory authorizations, net	$	30,840,398
Leased from EchoStar (9):
700 MHz Licenses (2)		701,803		December 31, 2024 (10)	June 14, 2025 (11)	June 2033
AWS-4 Licenses (2)		1,928,688		December 31, 2024 (10)	June 14, 2025 (11)	June 2033
H Block Licenses (2)		1,671,506		December 31, 2024 (10)	June 14, 2025 (12)	June 2033
MVDDS Licenses (1)		24,000				July, August, September 2034
LMDS Licenses (1)		—				September 2028
28 GHz Licenses		2,883			October 2, 2029 (13)	October 2029
24 GHz Licenses		11,772			December 11, 2029 (13)	December 2029
37 GHz, 39 GHz and 47 GHz Licenses		202,392			June 4, 2030 (13)	June 2030
3550-3650 MHz Licenses		912,200			March 12, 2031 (13)	March 2031
3.7-3.98 GHz Licenses		2,969	July 23, 2029 (13)		July 23, 2033 (13)	July 2036
Total Leased from EchoStar	$	5,458,213

(1) The build-out deadlines for these licenses have been met.

(2) The interim build-out deadlines for these licenses are in the past.

(3) In a January 10, 2025 filing to the FCC, we certified that we were offering 5G broadband service for certain of these license areas to at least 85% of the population in each Partial Economic Area (which is a service area established by the FCC), and offering 5G broadband service for certain other licenses to at least 80% of the population in each Partial Economic Area by this date (part of Commitments #2 and #3 of the Extension Request). These licenses are set forth in Appendices B and E of the Extension Request. Under the Extension Request, if we successfully fulfill Commitments #2 and #3, the final construction deadline for the 600 MHz licenses listed in Appendix G-2 of the Extension Request shall be extended from June 14, 2025 to December 14, 2026.

(4) In a January 10, 2025 filing to the FCC, we certified that we were offering reliable signal coverage for certain of these license areas and offering service for certain accelerated licenses to at least 85% of the population of each license area and for certain other accelerated licenses to at least 80% of the population of each license area by this date (part of Commitments #2 and #3 the Extension Request). These accelerated licenses are set forth in Appendices C and F of the Extension Request. Under the Extension Request, if we successfully fulfill Commitment #2 and Commitment #3, the final construction deadlines for the AWS-3 licenses listed in Appendix G-3 of the Extension Request shall be extended from June 14, 2025 to December 14, 2026.

(5) For the 600 MHz licenses set forth in Appendix G-2 of the Extension Request, we have certified to meeting the accelerated buildout obligations described in footnotes 3, 4 and 10 herein (thus fulfilling Commitments #2 and #3 of the Extension Request), and as a result the final deadline for us to offer 5G broadband service to at least 75% of the population in each Partial Economic Area (which is a service area established by the FCC) with respect to these licenses shall be extended to December 14, 2026. Under the Extension Request, the final construction deadline shall be further extended to June 14, 2028, if: by December 31, 2024, we have offered 5G broadband service to, at least, 80 percent of the U.S. population; and, by June 14, 2025 (a) we have offered a low-cost 5G broadband plan and device to consumers nationwide; (b) we have deployed at least 24,000 5G sites; (c) we have upgraded our deployed 5G sites to 3GPP Release 17; and (d) we have provisioned at least 75% of new subscribers with an EchoStar-certified 5G device on our MNO network if the subscriber is within the accelerated markets as set forth in Appendices A-F of the Extension Request. In a January 10, 2025 filing to the FCC, we certified that, as of December 31, 2024: (i) we were offering 5G broadband service to, at least, 80 percent of the U.S. population and (ii) we were offering a low-cost 5G broadband plan and device to consumers nationwide.

(6) There are a variety of build-out options and associated build-out metrics associated with these licenses. If the interim build-out requirement is not met, the final build-out requirement may be accelerated by one year from May 2030 to May 2029.

(7) For the AWS-3 licenses set forth in Appendix G-3 of the Extension Request, we have certified to meeting the accelerated buildout obligations described in footnotes 3, 4 and 10 herein (thus fulfilling Commitments #2 and #3 of the Extension Request), and as a result the final deadline for us to offer 5G broadband service to at least 75% of the population in each license area with respect to these licenses shall be extended to December 14, 2026. Under the Extension Request, the final construction deadline shall be further extended to June 14, 2028, if: by December 31, 2024, we have offered 5G broadband service to, at least, 80 percent of the U.S. population; and, by June 14, 2025 (a) we have offered a low-cost 5G broadband plan and device to consumers nationwide; (b) we have deployed at least 24,000 5G sites; (c) we have upgraded our deployed 5G sites to 3GPP Release 17; and (d) we have provisioned at least 75% of new subscribers with an EchoStar-certified 5G device on our MNO network if the subscriber is within the accelerated markets as set forth in Appendices A-F of the Extension Request. In a January 10, 2025 filing to the FCC, we certified that, as of December 31, 2024: (i) we were offering 5G broadband service to, at least, 80 percent of the U.S. population and (ii) we were offering a low-cost 5G broadband plan and device to consumers nationwide.

(8) See Note 2 for further information.

(9) See Note 1 for further information on the Sale and Transfer of Assets to EchoStar and see Note 16 for Related Party Transactions with EchoStar.

(10) In a January 10, 2025 filing to the FCC, we certified that we were offering 5G broadband service for certain of these license areas to at least 85% of the population in each Economic Area (which is a service area established by the FCC), and offering 5G broadband service for certain other licenses to at least 80% of the population in each Economic Area by this date (part of Commitments #2 and #3 of the September 2024 FCC Extension Request “Extension Request”). These licenses are set forth in Appendices A and D of the Extension Request. Under the Extension Request, if we successfully fulfill Commitments #2 and #3, the final construction deadline for the AWS-4 licenses, the AWS H Block licenses, and the Lower 700 MHz E Block licenses listed in Appendix G-1 of the Extension Request shall be extended from June 14, 2025 to December 14, 2026.

(11) For the 700 MHz and AWS-4 licenses set forth in Appendix G-1 of the Extension Request, we have certified to meeting the accelerated buildout obligations described in footnotes 3, 4 and 10 herein (thus fulfilling Commitments #2 and #3 of the Extension Request), and as a result the final deadline for us to offer 5G broadband service to at least 70% of the population in each Economic Area (which is a service area established by the FCC) with respect to these licenses shall be extended to December 14, 2026. Under the Extension Request, the final construction deadline shall be further extended to June 14, 2028, if: by December 31, 2024, we have offered 5G broadband service to, at least, 80 percent of the U.S. population; and, by June 14, 2025 (a) we have offered a low-cost 5G broadband plan and device to consumers nationwide; (b) we have deployed at least 24,000 5G sites; (c) we have upgraded our deployed 5G sites to 3GPP Release 17; and (d) we have provisioned at least 75% of new subscribers with an EchoStar-certified 5G device on our MNO network if the subscriber is within the accelerated markets as set forth in Appendices A-F of the Extension Request. In a January 10, 2025 filing to the FCC, we certified that, as of December 31, 2024: (i) we were offering 5G broadband service to, at least, 80 percent of the U.S. population and (ii) we were offering a low-cost 5G broadband plan and device to consumers nationwide.

(12) For the H-Block licenses set forth in Appendix G-1 of the Extension Request, we have certified to meeting the accelerated buildout obligations described in footnotes 3, 4 and 10 herein (thus fulfilling Commitments #2 and #3 of the Extension Request), and as a result the final deadline for us to offer 5G broadband service to at least 75% of the population in each Economic Area (which is a service area established by the FCC) with respect to these licenses shall be extended to December 14, 2026. Under the Extension Request, the final construction deadline shall be further extended to June 14, 2028, if: by December 31, 2024, we have offered 5G broadband service to, at least, 80 percent of the U.S. population; and, by June 14, 2025 (a) we have offered a low-cost 5G broadband plan and device to consumers nationwide; (b) we have deployed at least 24,000 5G sites; (c) we have upgraded our deployed 5G sites to 3GPP Release 17; and (d) we have provisioned at least 75% of new subscribers with an EchoStar-certified 5G device on our MNO network if the subscriber is within the accelerated markets as set forth in Appendices A-F of the Extension Request. In a January 10, 2025 filing to the FCC, we certified that, as of December 31, 2024: (i) we were offering 5G broadband service to, at least, 80 percent of the U.S. population and (ii) we were offering a low-cost 5G broadband plan and device to consumers nationwide.

(13) There are a variety of build-out options and associated build-out metrics associated with these licenses.