Dish Network is the satellite television broadcasting product owned by the company EchoStar Communications Corporation. Founded in 1980, by Mr. Charlie Ergen along with his wife Cantey and friend DeFranco, EchoStar Communications is an international, public company which is currently based in Englewood, Colorado. The current Chairman and CEO of the company is its founder Charlie Ergen.



EchoStar boasts of the conceptualization and introduction of the world's first Ultra High Frequency (UHF) remote control in the year 1986. The company was granted its Direct Broadcast Satellite (DBS) license by FCC in 1992 and launched its own private DBS service in 1995. The first Direct Broadcast Satellite of the company was EchoStar I which was launched from Xichang, China that year.

The Dish Network service of the EchoStar Company was soon a hit due to the company's committed focus on customer service and cutting-edge equipment, resulting in the prolonged growth of EchoStar. It has being ten years and has seen the launching of eight satellites into space and still EchoStar and its Dish Network service enjoys the glory of being above all its competitors. DISH Network's DISH 500 service which was introduced in 1999 is the world's first and only 500-channel satellite TV system. After the release of the DISH 500 service, HDTV Satellite TV Receiver was launched in January, 2000 a few months later, which was groundbreaking in its popularity. After a few years, by 2004, DISH Network became the first satellite TV service to offer local channels to all 50 states of USA along with Washington D.C. Topped up by DISH Network's 1,000 complete high definition television systems offering to the subscribers, EchoStar is the undisputed leader in its field now. Today, DISH Network is the most popular all-digital TV choice in America and most recently, introduced the first multi-room satellite TV receiver that can record in high definition - DISH Player-DVR 942.

Apart from Dish Network's continuing success, EchoStar has many feathers in its cap, like the prestigious No.1 rank in Customer Satisfaction among Cable/Satellite TV subscribers, given by J.D. Power and Associates. All these years, EchoStar together with DISH Network have reaffirmed their standing by realizing new levels of service and introducing cutting-edge technologies. DISH Network is known to offer greater discounts and quality services in the form of bundled packages, owing to their partnership with communication masters such as SBC and EarthLink. DISH Network reached their 10 millionth customer milestone in 2004 and still continues to provide an impressive satellite network with the capacity to provide uninterrupted broadcast of hundreds of channels of digital video, audio and data services through the robust DISH Network service to homes, businesses and schools throughout the United States. Employing close to 20,000 people, EchoStar and DISH Network are known for their dedication to the quality, delivery and continuing advancement of Direct Broadcast Satellite worldwide.

The satellite industry is expanding very fast and creates a horizon of new opportunities and exciting, innovative cutting-edge technologies. DISH Network has evolved tremendously with the potential in satellite broadcasting and continues to explore new services like high definition television and digital video recording. There is still more to come in the field of distant high definition TV network channels over the next few years with the passage of the Satellite Home Viewer Extension and Reauthorization Act of 2004 (SHVERA). The future for Dish Network and EchoStar looks promising enough to revolutionize the world of satellite broadcasting.