AT&T is spending $23 billion on new spectrum, but what will it do with it?

• AT&T will pay roughly $23B to acquire 30 MHz of 3.45 GHz (mid-band) and 20 MHz of 600 MHz (low-band) spectrum from EchoStar/Dish, and the companies say they’ll deepen Boost’s wholesale access agreement with AT&T’s network. • Details on the enhanced MVNO deal are vague, but it likely means Boost will lean more on AT&T coverage; priority/QoS improvements are possible but unconfirmed. • Don’t expect instant customer-visible changes, but the added spectrum should help AT&T shore up performance and capacity, including future fixed-wireless expansion.

AT&T announced a new agreement with Boost Mobile and Dish Network’s parent company, EchoStar. A key piece is a $23 billion spectrum purchase by AT&T, covering roughly 30 MHz of nationwide 3.45GHz mid-band and 20MHz of nationwide 600 MHz low-