The fate of T-Mobile and Sprint’s $26.5 billion merger may hinge on whether a federal judge sees satellite TV provider Dish Network as a viable fourth competitor in the US wireless market. But there isn’t an easy answer — especially when you balance its history of ignoring its obligations to build a wireless network with its newfound ambitions sparked by the mobile megamerger. 

Last week, the Department of Justice announced a deal in which Dish would acquire some of Sprint’s assets to help it create a nationwide 5G wireless broadband network to rival the likes of AT&T, Verizon and the new T-Mobile.

Dish adds a new wrinkle to the T-Mobile-Sprint saga, which has dragged on for more than a year already as executives lobbied lawmakers and officials. It’s a new, and potentially cheaper, option for consumers. It also helps the “New T-Mobile” build a far-reaching 5G network more thoroughly than if T-Mobile and Sprint remained independent. 

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