Dish Network made a significant step on its path to becoming the fourth wireless carrier in the country. It should have done this many months ago let’s just say .. As reported by Axios, its 5G network, aka Project Genesis, has finally launched to paying customers in Las Vegas, graduating from the beta program that began late last year. For $30 per month it includes unlimited 5G data, talk, text, and, uh, this: “Additionally, we include a white-glove delivery experience and exclusive access to the Project Genesis app where you can earn rewards.” Rewards including… NFTs.

T-Mobile’s deal with Sprint , Dish Network entitles it to take over as fourth carrier. The FCC has given Dish Network the task of building its 5G network with O-RAN technology. This is an open-source technology that relies more on off-the-shelf components than on proprietary ones. Samsung is in the mix, too, supplying software and radios.

It’s not surprising that this network uses some unusual terms. You can’t bring your device to the network right now. You’ll need a Project Genesis-issued… wait for it… Motorola Edge Plus (2022). This is the only supported phone. It’s delivered by a Project Genesis ambassador, who appears to be a man in a van with Project Genesis branding.

Customers can access support through a Project Genesis app, which doubles as a gamified way to help fine tune the network. Participation will earn you points and potentially NFTs. Seriously, there’s a whole section in the terms and conditions page about an “Engagement App” that offers “exclusive offers and loyalty rewards” including the non-fungible tokens — and while a customer support representative tells us those might only be for beta testers, a Project Genesis FAQ suggests that treating the network like a game is part of the appeal:

The more points you earn, the more you get – from rewards like exclusive NFTs to special gear and more.

“Project Genesis makes no representations or warranties as to quality, merchantability or value of such NFTs,” the company writes. This is just for you.

Also, a lengthy bit of that terms and conditions page indicates that 911 dispatchers may not be able to see your phone number or location, and you can’t hold Dish Network responsible for anything bad that happens to you as a result. You can see that they mean business.

YOU ACKNOWLEDGE AND AGREE THAT ANY INJURY ARISING OUT OF MISROUTED 911 CALLS, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER OR NOT THE CALL WAS ROUTED BY A PUBLIC SAFETY ANSWERING POINT OR AN OFFICIAL EMERGENCY OPERATOR, IS NOT THE FAULT NOR LIABILITY OF PROJECT GENESIS AND YOU HOLD PROJECT GENESIS HARMLESS FROM ANY DAMAGES OR LIABILITIES.

The company’s documentation is also chock full of trademarks to help you understand how innovative Dish thinks its network will be. We can also see in the US Patent and Trademark Office that Dish has applied to:

Smart 5G

Smart 5G Network

Smart 5G Wireless Network

Smart Wireless Network

The American Smart Network

The First American Smart Network

America’s First Smart Network

Dish is hurtling toward an FCC deadline to cover 20 percent of the population with its service by June, and to that end, has released a list of over 100 cities that it plans to expand to next. If your area is on the list, you can sign up to potentially become a beta tester before the service goes public. You never know what? Perhaps you will have more options than the Edge Plus by then.