As DISH prepares to build the first virtualized, standalone 5G broadband network in the U.S., the company announced it will release a Request for Information and Request for Proposal (RFI/RFP) for Telecom Transport Services in the coming weeks. The Telecom Transport Services RFI/RFP, the fifth in a series of RFPs for different elements of the national network, will include requests for telecom transport service companies to facilitate lit and dark fiber connectivity to cell towers, buildings and data centers. DISH has committed to building a standalone 5G broadband network available to at least 70% of the U.S. population by June 2023.