Ergen, Drahi highlight Fierce's list of top telecom disrupters

A former card cheat creates the multibillion satellite TV business from scratch, then finds himself on the leading edge of pay-TV's convergence with the wireless business.

A Moroccan-born scrapper and former electronics lab worker builds a powerful European telecommunications conglomerate, that swallows two large U.S. MSOs whole.

Yes, we are indeed talking, respectively, about Dish Network (NASDAQ: DISH) chief executive Charlie Ergen and Altice kingpin Patrick Drahi, who highlight Fierce's list of top disrupters in the telecom industry. 

These are the executives we believe are looking toward the next big thing, rather than the ones trying to protect their existing businesses from market change.

You can read the full list here.