Sprint Announces Availability of Enhanced Push-to-Talk Service in Iowa and Illinois

DAVENPORT, Iowa--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sprint today announced the availability of enhanced push-to-talk service for Iowa and Illinois Nextel Direct Connect^® subscribers. The enhanced service is part of a corporate expansion that includes push-to-talk capabilities throughout Iowa and Illinois including the Quad Cities and central Illinois.

“We’re thrilled to offer push-to-talk users in Iowa and Illinois a solution that provides a larger voice calling area, improved call quality and faster data transfer”

The new service allows users to connect to other Nextel Direct Connect subscribers in less than one second. Group services loop in multiple users at the same time on the same push-to-talk network. Additionally, customers can choose from the largest portfolio of push-to-talk phones, including rugged ones for challenging environments.

“We’re thrilled to offer push-to-talk users in Iowa and Illinois a solution that provides a larger voice calling area, improved call quality and faster data transfer,” said William Derrick, General Manager at iPCS Wireless, the Sprint PCS affiliate in Iowa and Illinois. “The ability to instantly connect and collaborate with the largest push-to-talk community in the world is crucial for effective businesses communications, and Sprint leads the country in this capability.”

This expansion into Iowa and Illinois comes on the heels of the Saginaw, Michigan market launch in July.

No one has a larger voice calling area, and lightning-quick data services, than the Sprint Mobile Broadband network*. New push-to-talk options based on the Nextel Direct Connect device selected include:

DC Missed Call Notifications: When on a Nextel Direct Connect call, receive a notification that you missed a Direct Connect call, Call Alert or Group call.

TeamDC^SM: Create groups of up to 34 other users online. Any group member can initiate calls to that group and participate in calls initiated by other group members.

Sprint Mobile Sync: Create, manage and backup contacts and groups online (included in your service if you have a capable Sprint phone).

Single Number Option: Gives you the choice of one number for all your cell and Nextel Direct Connect calls.

The following devices allow customers to make Direct Connect^® calls and are currently available at Sprint retail stores Iowa and Illinois:

PRO-700 by Sanyo^® This slim clamshell form factor phone is certified Military Spec (810F) for dust, shock, and vibration. Other key functions include Bluetooth^®, GPS Navigation enabled and Group Connect.

Motorola^® Renegade™ V950 This slim clamshell form factor phone performs in any environment yet offers features usually found only on less rugged phones. Features include a 2.0 Megapixel camera and camcorder, Bluetooth^®, and GPS capabilities.

More information about Nextel Direct Connect can be found at the following Sprint stores:

3413 Freedom Dr., Springfield, Ill.
101 River Rd., East Peoria, Ill.
4700 N. University St., Peoria, Ill.
200 Greenbriar, Normal, Ill.
61 Marketview Dr., Champaign, Ill.
2706 North Prospect, Champaign, Ill.
4030 E. 53^rd St., Davenport, Iowa
913 41st Avenue Dr., Moline, Ill.
1100 Blairs Ferry Road, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
6301 University Avenue, Cedar Falls, Iowa
2510 Corridor Way, Coralville, Iowa

About Nextel Direct Connect

With more than 16 years of expertise, Sprint is the undisputed leader in push-to-talk with the largest community of users in the world. Nextel Direct Connect has set the industry standard for push-to-talk and serves millions of Nextel Direct Connect subscribers on the fastest national push-to-talk network.

Nextel Direct Connect is the only push-to-talk product in the industry that offers:

Industry-leading performance with the advantage of instant connection (call set-up times of less than one second)
Connection to the world's largest community of users, with millions of existing Nextel Direct Connect subscribers
Nationwide and international push-to-talk services
The largest portfolio of push-to-talk phones, including the largest selection of rugged phones
Integrated business solutions, including the largest selection of GPS-solutions

About Sprint Nextel

Sprint Nextel offers a comprehensive range of wireless and wireline communications services bringing the freedom of mobility to consumers, businesses and government users. Sprint Nextel is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying innovative technologies, including two wireless networks serving more than 48 million customers at the end of the third quarter of 2009 and the first and only 4G service from a national carrier in the United States; industry-leading mobile data services; instant national and international push-to-talk capabilities; and a global Tier 1 Internet backbone. The company’s customer-focused strategy has led to improved first call resolution and customer care satisfaction scores. For more information, visit www.sprint.com.

*The Nationwide Sprint Network (inclusive of roaming) reaches more than 304 million people in the U.S., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Sprint phone and national calling plan that includes roaming required.