Three Dish Network satellite dishes are shown at an apartment complex in Palo Alto, Calif., Wednesday, Feb. 23, 2011. Dish Network, the nation's third-largest provider of pay-TV service, is reporting that its fourth-quarter net income rose 41 percent to beat Wall Street analysts' expectations, even as it lost subscribers.

The U.S. government is forcing T-Mobile to prop up Dish Network as a new cellular carrier, but it’s unlikely to become a viable rival on its own.Read More