American Tower files suit against Dish over colocation contracts

American Tower (NYSE:AMT) said it filed a complaint against Dish Wireless, seeking a ruling that Dish isn't excused from a contract the companies signed in March 2021.

In September, Dish Wireless, a subsidiary of Dish Network (now owned by EchoStar (SATS)), sent a letter to American Tower (NYSE:AMT), saying it believes it's excused from its contractual obligations under its strategic colocation agreement ("SCA") based on a spectrum sale.

"We disagree with that," American Tower (NYSE:AMT) President and CEO Steven Vondran said during the company's Q3 earnings call.  "And in fact, we filed suit. We filed a declaratory judgment action to ask the court to confirm that we own the remainder of the rent under that agreement."

"We remain confident that DISH has not been excused from its obligations under the DISH SCA, and that the DISH SCA remains in full force and effect," American Tower said in its 10-Q filing for Q3 2025.

To date, Dish has continued to make payments under the SCA, the company said. The agreement runs through 2036 and represents 2% of AMT's total property revenue, Vondran said.