American Tower became the latest infrastructure player to score a deal with Dish Network, which leased space on up to 20,000 sites to progress a planned 5G network rollout.

It is the operator’s tenth tower agreement, adding to major deals with Crown Castle and Vertical Bridge, and several smaller arrangements.

Dave Mayo, Dish Network EVP of network development, said the American Tower deal meant the operator now had “the complete, robust infrastructure portfolio” needed for a nationwide 5G deployment.

In addition to tower space, the agreement provides Dish Network access to American Tower’s pre-construction services and the ability to lease shared generators at select sites.

During earnings calls in H2 2020, Dish Network executives stated it expects to deploy at least 15,000 sites to meet a government-imposed target of covering 70 per cent of the US population by June 2023.

Payments to American Tower are due to commence in 2022: during a recent investor event, the company’s VP of investor relations Igor Khislavsky stated dealings with Dish Network is “unlikely” to deliver a material impact in the near-term, with the benefits more likely within a “couple” of years.