Here in 2021, things are much, much different. Dish announced Monday it will acquire MVNO Republic Wireless which operates on the T-Mobile network and its 200,000 phone customers. It's Dish's third such acquisition, following its purchases of Boost Mobile and Ting, in roughly nine months. "As we continue to grow our retail wireless business, Republic broadens our existing customer base and positions us to deliver even more value to the market, expanding our portfolio of mobile solutions to meet a variety of customer needs," explained Dish's John Swieringa in a release. Republic was founded in 2011 with a Wi-Fi-first sales pitch to customers interested in reducing their monthly cell phone bill by shifting their cellular data traffic nearby Wi-Fi networks. Others have undertaken similar strategies, including Comcast, Charter, Google Fi, TextNow and Scratch Wireless.