DISH Network Expands Apartment Building Network

Some apartment dwellers may finally get their shot at satellite TV.

DISH Network is targeting mid to large sized apartment buildings with a new service called “DISH Optical Network.” Apartment buildings have long been a stronghold of cable television companies, often to the dismay of subscribers who may not have any other pay television choices in the units.

DISH Network’s new offering will involve a setup using multiple satellite dishes placed atop the building. Then fiber optic cabling will feed to a base system which will then provide programming for up to 128 subscribers. According to DISH, up to 400 channels will be available through the system, so capacity issues should be non-existent.

Multi-dwelling units or MDU are the latest target of satellite television operators DISH Network and DIRECTV. Current estimates place the potential apartment subscriber market somewhere between 60 and 80 million households. Some MDU customers have been able to subscribe to satellite TV in recent years, but have often had to mount the dish on their deck outside their residence. Landlords and homeowner’s associations have not always been happy with the setup, arguing the satellite dish detracts from the appearance of the buildings.