Sprint Expands 4G LTE Network in Chicago Metro Area

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sprint (NYSE:S) today announced that more customers in the metropolitan Chicago area will have access to high-speed 4G LTE service – bringing faster speeds for uploading holiday photos, surfing the Web for the best bargains, and streaming homemade winter videos. Sprint continues to show significant progress in the buildout of its all-new 4G LTE network – reaching more customers every day.

“Now even more Chicagoans can experience 4G LTE on their smartphones, tablets and wireless modems”

“Now even more Chicagoans can experience 4G LTE on their smartphones, tablets and wireless modems,” said Kimberly Green-Kerr, regional vice president-Business Sales, Sprint. “In the Windy City area, customers will find that 4G LTE is available downtown and in more places around the metropolitan area. And, we continue to invest in and make improvements to Sprint’s 3G network in the Chicago area so customers can expect to experience fewer dropped and/or blocked calls as they reach out to their friends and family this holiday season.”

Earlier in 2012, Sprint announced the availability of 4G LTE to Illinois customers in Addison, Bolingbrook, Des Plaines, Downers Grove, Kankakee, Waukegan-Lake County, Rockford, Joliet, Naperville, Palatine and Plainfield, along with Gary, Ind.

“The demand for smartphones continues to increase and therefore a strong network is more important than ever this holiday season,” said Kevin Gleason, vice president-Consumer Sales, Sprint. “Our 4G LTE network in the Chicago area will enable our customers to access emails quickly, upload photos and videos, and keep in touch with colleagues while spending time with the family.”

Customers in these new Chicago metro areas will be able to use their smartphones – such as Samsung Galaxy S^® III, Samsung Galaxy Victory™ 4G LTE or HTC EVO™ 4G LTE – to share a picture of the front-yard snowman, download a video of the dog knocking over the Christmas tree, or check the Web for sales and bargains with greater speed. When you combine the power of 4G LTE with an Everything Data plan with Any Mobile, Anytime^SM, which includes unlimited Web, texting and calling to and from any mobile in America while on the Sprint Network, Sprint becomes the best choice in wireless.

Sprint’s network buildout, known as Network Vision, not only delivers 4G LTE but also is expected to provide 3G customers better wireless signal strength, in-building coverage, and fewer dropped/blocked calls. These 3G improvements are already available to customers in several cities across the country, such as Baltimore, Boston, Los Angeles, New York and Washington, D.C. All Sprint 3G customers in these areas, including the company’s prepaid customers on Assurance Wireless, Virgin Mobile and Boost Mobile, can expect to see better coverage and improved network reliability and voice quality once the improvements come to their areas.

Sprint introduced its all-new 4G LTE network in July 2012 and now offers service in 49 marketsⁱ. For the most up-to-date details on Sprint’s 4G LTE portfolio and rollout, please visit www.sprint.com/4GLTE. For detailed 4G LTE maps, providing coverage information right down to the address, please visit www.sprint.com/coverage. Customers are encouraged to check back often, as the maps will be updated when coverage in these markets is enhanced.

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 served nearly 56 million customers at the end of the third quarter of 2012 and is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying innovative technologies, including the first wireless 4G service from a national carrier in the United States; offering industry-leading mobile data services, leading prepaid brands including Virgin Mobile USA, Boost Mobile, and Assurance Wireless; instant national and international push-to-talk capabilities; and a global Tier 1 Internet backbone. The American Customer Satisfaction Index rated Sprint No. 1 among all national carriers in customer satisfaction and most improved, across all 47 industries, during the last four years. Newsweek ranked Sprint No. 3 in both its 2011 and 2012 Green Rankings, listing it as one of the nation’s greenest companies, the highest of any telecommunications company.

ⁱ Anderson, Ind.; Atlanta; Athens, Ga.; Baltimore; Barnstable/Hyannis/Mid-Cape, Mass.; Calhoun, Ga.; Carrollton, Ga.; Chicago/Naperville/Joliet, Ill.; Clark County, Va./Jefferson County, W.Va.; Columbus, Ind.; Dallas; Franklin County, Pa.; Fort Worth, Texas; Gainesville, Ga.; Gary, Ind.; Granbury/Hood County, Texas; Hagerstown, Md./Martinsburg, W.Va.; Harrisburg/Carlisle/Hershey, Pa.; Harrisonburg, Va.; Houston, Texas; Huntsville, Texas; Hutchinson, Kan.; Indianapolis/Carmel, Ind.; Kansas City, Kan./Mo.; Kankakee/Bradley/Bourbonnais, Ill.; Lawrence, Kan.; Manhattan/Junction City, Kan.; McPherson, Kan.; Muncie, Ind.; Newnan, Ga.; New Bedford/Fall River, Mass.; Page County, Pa.; Peabody, Mass.; Rockford, Ill.; Rome, Ga.; Salina, Kan.; San Antonio; Santa Rosa/Petaluma, Calif.; Sedalia, Mo.; Shenandoah County, Va.; South Bend/Mishawaka, Ind.; St. Joseph, Mo.; Topeka, Kan.; Waco, Texas; Waukegan/Lake County, Ill.; Wichita, Kan.; Wichita Falls, Texas; Winchester, Va.; and Yauco/Ponce/Coamo/Santa Isabel/Guayama, Puerto Rico.