Dish CEO denies talk of asset sale, commits to nationwide network

A new service trademark, a 67-page FCC application and a recently redefined brand? These are not the marks of a company looking to lend itself to the altar of M&A. After plunking down over a billion dollars on acquired spectrum, Dish appears dead set on launching its own wireless network, despite rumors of an impending asset sale and a regulatory hold up. In an interview at this week's CES, CEO Joe Clayton put to rest speculation that the satco was looking to place itself or its airwaves on the auction block, saying it was definitively "not part of [the company's] strategy." Regardless, that planned, nationwide LTE network is still a ways off for the pay TV provider, as its 2GHz holdings are still pending the Commission's approval. If and when the outfit gets the greenlight, expect a full buildout in three years time.