A rendering of one of the 100 LEO satellites EchoStar recently ordered from MDA Space.

EchoStar’s proposed direct-to-device satellite network got a major boost Aug. 26 with plans to sell $23 billion of spectrum to AT&T, closing the book on its bid to operate as a traditional mobile carrier in the United States.

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Jason Rainbow writes about satellite telecom, space finance and commercial markets for SpaceNews. He has spent more than a decade covering the global space industry as a business journalist. Previously, he was Group Editor-in-Chief for Finance Information...