Equinix to help DISH build out its 5G network

Equinix has partnered with DISH to offer digital infrastructure services supporting the US's first cloud-native, Open RAN-based 5G network.

Per the deal, DISH will have access to Equinix's international business exchange (IBX) data centers nationwide.

"DISH is taking the lead in delivering on the promise of 5G in the U.S., and our partnership with Equinix will enable us to secure critical interconnections for a nationwide 5G network," said Jeff McSchooler, executive vice president of wireless network operations at DISH.

McSchooler added, "With proximity to large population centers, as well as network and cloud density, Equinix is the right partner to connect our cloud-native 5G network."

Earlier this year, Equinix announced the opening of its fully operational 5G and Edge Technology Development Center, which houses a fully functional, non-standalone 5G network from Nokia for testing 5G services and use cases.

Equinix's footprint will enable DISH to connect directly to strategic partners and end-users, making 5G more accessible nationwide.

Furthermore, Equinix has made investments to help service providers and network operators develop and deploy innovative solutions for secure end-to-end communications by providing an agile production framework for assessing, incubating, and testing 5G and edge solutions.

This will enable companies to rapidly scale their IT infrastructure, easily adopt hybrid multi-cloud architectures, and team with strategic partners to accelerate their digital transformation.

"5G will have a transformative impact on the way the world connects and does business, but it requires a modern, connected underlying infrastructure at the edge," said Jon Lin, president of Americas at Equinix.

"DISH will leverage our extensive ecosystem of network partners and cloud providers to deliver a fast, powerful 5G network to communities across the United States."