Will Amazon fund an IoT network?

A potential partnership could help Amazon enter the wireless business — a move that could further streamline its digital services.



Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos and Charlie Ergen, CEO of Dish, reportedly may be considering partnering on a potential wireless project. With Amazon’s financial backing, sources said the team could create an Internet of Things (IoT) network, reported the Wall Street Journal.



This network could be a boon for Amazon on many levels. According to sources in the report, the network could become a way to offer Prime members wireless connectivity or phone plans. It could also support a one-way broadcast signal for its Prime video on Dish's airwaves.



The potential network could also benefit Amazon from an internal perspective. For example, the web-based IoT network could potentially power things like Amazon delivery drones, according to ReCode.



This is not Amazon’s first collaboration with Dish. In May, the two companies struck deals allowing some Dish customers to control their set-top boxes through artificial intelligence assistant Alexa on Amazon's Echo speakers. The service makes Dish streaming-TV apps available on Amazon Fire devices.



Despite the previous collaboration, currently there is no deal pending on the IoT concept, and it’s also unclear if the companies will move forward with the initiative, according to the Journal.