Trump Pushes Deal in EchoStar FCC Spectrum Dispute

President Donald Trump has intervened in a dispute between EchoStar Corp and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regarding EchoStar's wireless spectrum licenses, urging EchoStar Chairman Charlie Ergen and FCC Chair Brendan Carr to negotiate a resolution. The FCC launched an investigation in May over EchoStar's compliance with 5G deployment obligations, putting its spectrum licenses at risk. EchoStar has missed about $500 million in interest payments and warned that ongoing regulatory uncertainty threatens its viability as a wireless provider. Trump's direct meetings with Ergen and Carr at the White House resulted in a 52% surge in EchoStar's shares in after-hours trading. Both EchoStar and the White House declined to comment, and the FCC has not responded to media requests. The outcome of the negotiations remains uncertain.