SBC, EchoStar Launch SBC/Dish Network

SBC Communications Inc. and EchoStar Communications Corp. are officially in business together.

The regional Bell operating company and the direct-broadcast satellite provider launched SBC/Dish Network satellite-TV service Wednesday across the telco’s 13-state, 55 million-line service area.

SBC and EchoStar first announced the pairing in July.

In order to promote its "quadruple play" of satellite TV, wireless telephony, broadband and local and long-distance telephony, the more services a household purchases from SBC, the more discounts it can receive.

The two companies added that they plan to develop set-top boxes that combine the features of satellite TV, digital-video recording, broadband, home networking and telecommunications services.