Remember the dream of nationwide WiFi network, which we wrote about earlier this week? Well, it seems there are talks that satellite TV providers DirecTV and EchoStar are planning to team up to roll out a wireless broadband network based on WiMax specifications.

What’s interesting is that the two companies are direct competitors (both being satellite providers), and also competing with wired cable TV providers. By setting up their own broadband service, they will also be in competition with wired broadband providers such as those offering DSL and cable Internet subscriptions.

The news of DirecTV’s plans to enter the broadband scene is seen by analysts as one that can potentially shake up the cable TV, broadband and mass media industries. DirecTV is owned by media mogul Rupert Murdoch, who also owns social network/blogging service Myspace, news outfit News Corp., gaming and multimedia network IGN, and adware vendor Intermix, among others.

Owning a vast resource of content, and now setting up an alternative (IP-based) distribution network would make DirecTV a formidable foe (or ally, as is the case with EchoStar) as a new media network. News Corp. is already established as the “big media” outfit. But with a huge investment in a wide-area broadband network, DirecTV may just be the solution to the search for a viable nationwide wireless infrastructure.