Dish's Stephen Stokols hints at what's next for Boost Mobile

BIG 5G EVENT, DENVER – Dish Network entered the US wireless industry last year with the purchase of roughly 9 million mobile customers subscribing to T-Mobile's Boost Mobile brand.

But the company didn't stop there. It subsequently acquired several additional mobile brands including Republic Wireless and Ting. This week, the company added yet another MVNO – Gen Mobile – to its lineup.

Stephen Stokols, the Dish Network executive in charge of the company's growing camp of mobile brands, said Dish might not be done yet.

"We're opportunistic about it," he said here at the Big 5G Event, explaining the company's acquisition strategy. He said Dish may acquire additional mobile brands if it makes sense within the company's broader strategy. "We're open to it."

However, "we're not trying to be a brand management shop," he said, noting that Dish is looking to address a variety of specific market segments with its various brands. For example, the company is preparing to launch a postpaid service next year, while Gen Mobile will allow the company to offer services to low-income customers that are subsidized by the government's Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) program.

But those are just parts of Stokols' broader plan. "You'll see us doing some moves that maybe aren't typical of a wireless carrier," he hinted.