AT&T deepened its partnership with EV maker Rivian, confirming its 5G network will power connectivity inside its R2 model, which is slated for availability from 9 June.

The collaboration builds on a relationship dating to 2023, when AT&T became the connectivity provider for Rivian vehicles across the US and Canada.

With the R2 coming to market, the arrangement expands to cover the automaker’s next-generation platform, ensuring its more affordable mass-market model arrives with the same always-on network backbone as its predecessors.

The operator stated its 5G infrastructure will support faster over-the-air software updates, richer infotainment and real-time services which enable the R2 to improve performance and personalisation over time.

“Connectivity is increasingly central to how vehicles are designed, delivered, and improved,” stated Matt Harden, VP of connected solutions at AT&T.

At an automaker technology conference in the US state of Michigan, AT&T also revealed an expansion of its connected car platform in collaboration with Cisco and LiveOne, the parent of Slacker Radio.

The three-way arrangement is designed to simplify how automakers integrate premium entertainment into connected vehicles. AT&T’s wireless network provides the backbone, Cisco contributes multi-party billing infrastructure through its SIM management platform, and LiveOne will be supplying personalised audio content ranging from curated playlists to live programming.

Rather than requiring each automaker to negotiate separate connectivity deals with individual content providers, AT&T noted its platform acts as a single integration layer.

LiveOne joins existing AT&T partners including iM Media Labs and SiriusXM as part of a content ecosystem now reaching more than 60 of the world’s top automotive brands.

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EchoStar elected to defer approximately $183 million in cash interest payments due on debt held by its Dish DBS Corporation subsidiary, citing a preference to conserve liquidity while it awaits the closing of its spectrum deal with AT&T.

According to a statement, the missed payments span three tranches of Dish DBS notes: around $72.2 million on 5.25% secured notes due 2026, $71.9 million on 5.75% secured notes due 2028 and $38.4 million on 5.125% unsecured notes due 2029.

The company stated it skipped the payments deliberately to preserve cash while it waits for the AT&T deal to close, implying it does not intend to make the payments within the grace period.

The notes were part of the broader debt load accumulated by Dish Network over years of spectrum acquisitions and satellite operations, debt which became central to EchoStar’s financial stress and its motivation to complete the $23 billion AT&T deal.

Under the terms of the relevant indentures, the non-payment is classed as a default, though EchoStar has a 30-day grace period before it formally constitutes an event of default.

EchoStar said both the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the US Department of Justice granted regulatory approval for the AT&T transaction, though the FCC’s sign-off is not yet final. The company noted the closing remains subject to the satisfaction or waiver of additional conditions.

The deal, announced in August 2025, will generate net proceeds of $20.25 billion according to EchoStar’s filing, reflecting adjustments and transaction costs applied to the gross figure.

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