Blog

BLOG / 07.23.26 /Jose Saladin

Dish Wireless L.L.C. Files for Bankruptcy

On June 30, 2026, DISH Wireless L.L.C. (“Dish”) filed a Chapter 11 Bankruptcy petition with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas. Pursuant to its petition, Dish is seeking to restructure its debt with its creditors. Dish has also asked the Bankruptcy Court to allow it to reject unexpired leases that it has with its creditors. If the Bankruptcy Court grants Dish that relief, Dish will be released from the remaining term of those leases and will no longer be obligated to perform its future obligations under those leases.

What You Should Do

To operate its wireless services equipment in New York City and its surrounding areas, Dish executed with owners of buildings what are known as site lease agreements or site license agreements. Under those types of agreements, a building owner allows Dish to operate its equipment from a designated space in its building in exchange for Dish paying monthly rent or license fees for that space and otherwise complying with the other terms and conditions contained in the site lease agreement or the site license agreement.

If your building has a site lease agreement or site license agreement with Dish and Dish owes outstanding rent or license fees as of June 30, 2026, you should file a proof of claim with the Bankruptcy Court to try to recover the outstanding rent or license fees. The recovery of that rent or those license fees is of course subject to applicable Bankruptcy laws and rules. The deadline to file a proof of claim with the Bankruptcy Court is August 7, 2026. Failure to file a timely proof of claim may prevent you from seeking to recover from Dish any outstanding rent or license fees.

Many agreements with Dish have a provision that discusses what happens to Dish’s equipment if the site lease agreement or site license agreement is terminated. Since Dish is asking the Bankruptcy Court to allow it to reject many of its agreements, an issue that will likely arise is whether Dish must pay to remove its equipment from buildings or whether Dish will simply be able to abandon its equipment and then burden building owners with the costs to remove and dispose of abandoned equipment.

If you have questions or require assistance with filing a proof of claim and/or negotiating the removal of Dish equipment from your building, please contact our office.

REMINDER: Proofs of claim are due August 7, 2026.