Sprint selects vendors to remove iden equipment

[Rickie546]

OVERLAND PARK, Kan.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Sprint (NYSE:S) announced today that it has signed agreements with Goodman Networks, Overland Contracting, Inc., a construction affiliate of Black & Veatch, Pyramid Network Services LLC and WesTower Communications Inc. to decommission the company’s iDEN network. Under the terms of the deals, these suppliers will negotiate lease termination agreements, restore cell site compounds and remove Sprint network equipment for re-use or recycling.

Sprint recently announced that it plans to cease service on the iDEN Nextel National Network as early as June 30, 2013, which marks another major milestone on the path to completing the Sprint Network Vision plan. Network Vision is a multiyear initiative to provide an enhanced network experience by improving voice quality and providing faster data speeds, while creating network flexibility and reducing operating costs.

Network Vision also improves environmental sustainability by reducing electricity use and driving down greenhouse gas emissions. Today’s announcement underscores Sprint’s commitment to decommissioning the iDEN network swiftly and efficiently. To begin preparing for the more robust network consolidation, the company expects to shut down a total of 9,600 iDEN sites before the end of the third quarter 2012.

“After a thorough RFP process, Sprint has selected the best suppliers to cost-effectively hit our milestones for site shutdown, enabling the company to exit from those locations at a minimum cost,” said John Harrison, vice president-Network Supplier Performance Management. “In addition, we have taken extra care in selecting these suppliers to ensure our industry-leading green standards are maintained.”

Sprint released an Electronic Stewardship Policy in May 2011, outlining its goal to eliminate all internal e-waste from its own operations and establishing social and environmental criteria that its e-waste suppliers must meet.

Sprint continues to facilitate migration of iDEN customers to Sprint Direct Connect service. Sprint Direct Connect, the industry’s newest push-to-talk (PTT) gold standard, was announced in October 2011. The service provides broadband data capabilities, familiar push-to-talk features, and rugged and reliable handset options. Sprint Direct Connect coverage is expected to broaden throughout 2012.

During the past eight months, Sprint has announced four rugged Sprint Direct Connect handsets: Kyocera DuraMax, Kyocera DuraCore, Kyocera DuraPlus and Motorola ADMIRAL™, which cater to push-to-talk users. Last month, Sprint made International Direct Connect available on its Sprint Direct Connect devices, expanding the reach of push-to-talk capabilities to and from Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Peru and Chile.

[bigsnake49]

I guess they're serious about this!

[Deval]

 

*salutes*

[WiWavelength]

*salutes*

 

Nah, this is more like it...

 

 

AJ

[Deval]

Nah, this is more like it...

 

 

AJ

 

I have to pay my respects

 

<- Sprint Employee

[WiWavelength]

I have to pay my respects

 

<- Sprint Employee

 

Respect goes only so far. Remember, iDEN is the dead weight that brought Sprint nearly to its knees. And many iDEN users are some of the biggest complainers around; they wish that they could keep a wireless carrier and national network stuck in the year 2003 forever.

 

AJ

[Deval]

Respect goes only so far. Remember, iDEN is the dead weight that brought Sprint nearly to its knees. And many iDEN users are some of the biggest complainers around; they wish that they could keep a wireless carrier and national network stuck in the year 2003 forever.

 

AJ

 

I agree, it's a niche technology and growth in said technology died in 2003.

[4GHoward]

WiMAX is soon going to be a niche technology also.

[Deval]

WiMAX is soon going to be a niche technology also.

 

True, but it has great uses now. At home I use it for a backup for my FiOS internet, and as a spare connection when I'm mobile. I was in Vegas a few weeks back and used it in my room to surf.

[jefbal99]

I never paid for Nextel service, but I had it through work a couple of different times. It served a great purpose and the PTT was awesome, however, that network should have be gone already. If Sprint had started NV two years ago, they'd be on top.

[jefbal99]

True, but it has great uses now. At home I use it for a backup for my FiOS internet, and as a spare connection when I'm mobile. I was in Vegas a few weeks back and used it in my room to surf.

 

I did the same thing in Columbus a few times because the hotel WiFi was so bad...

[Deval]

I never paid for Nextel service, but I had it through work a couple of different times. It served a great purpose and the PTT was awesome, however, that network should have be gone already. If Sprint had started NV two years ago, they'd be on top.

 

I'm glad they waited for NV (if they did), allows us to put in the latest equipment, and less truck rolls.

[ericdabbs]

I wonder how many iDEN sites Sprint can get rid of by the end of 2012. I am hoping for at least 13000 iDEN sites.

[Boosted20V]

I wonder how many iDEN sites Sprint can get rid of by the end of 2012. I am hoping for at least 13000 iDEN sites.

 

I believe they've already stated they can only "thin" out 9600 sites without adversely affecting coverage, outside of building penetration.

[jefbal99]

I'm glad they waited for NV (if they did), allows us to put in the latest equipment, and less truck rolls.

 

Stop being logical...

[ericdabbs]

I believe they've already stated they can only "thin" out 9600 sites without adversely affecting coverage, outside of building penetration.

 

Yes I understand that the purpose is to "thin" out unnecessary iDEN towers. The 9600 sites will be done by the end of 3rd quarter so that means Sprint has all of the 4th quarter to continue thinning out towers as necessary. Lets not kid ourselves here, eventually all 30,000 iDEN towers need to be decommissioned anyways. As more and more iDEN customers leave Sprint or switch to Sprint CDMA, I am sure in some regions they could just decommission all the iDEN sites in that area.

[Deval]

Stop being logical...

 

lol

[NiteSnow]

I never paid for Nextel service, but I had it through work a couple of different times. It served a great purpose and the PTT was awesome, however, that network should have be gone already. If Sprint had started NV two years ago, they'd be on top.

 

If they would have done it two years ago they would have had to replace every single LTE base station to be able to offer LTE Advanced service which enables MIMO on upstream. Currently they're going with LTE release 9 and doing a software upgrade to LTE release 10. They will end up coming out on top with a much better network.

[jefbal99]

If they would have done it two years ago they would have had to replace every single LTE base station to be able to offer LTE Advanced service which enables MIMO on upstream. Currently they're going with LTE release 9 and doing a software upgrade to LTE release 10. They will end up coming out on top with a much better network.

 

That I did not know, thanks for the info. I knew it was more than a software upgrade to go to LTE-A, but I didn't know that it was a base station replacement. Is that why Verizon gets hammered for their Release 8 LTE network and upgrading to LTE-A?

[NiteSnow]

That I did not know, thanks for the info. I knew it was more than a software upgrade to go to LTE-A, but I didn't know that it was a base station replacement. Is that why Verizon gets hammered for their Release 8 LTE network and upgrading to LTE-A?

 

I'm not too sure, I haven't heard/read much about Verizon's LTE network but from LTE Release 9 to 10 it should just be a software upgrade, but for LTE release 8 to 10 it could potentially be hardware and that's why the other cell companies will be stuck in the past.

[Deval]

I'm not too sure, I haven't heard/read much about Verizon's LTE network but from LTE Release 9 to 10 it should just be a software upgrade, but for LTE release 8 to 10 it could potentially be hardware and that's why the other cell companies will be stuck in the past.

 

I'm assuming they will do whatever truck rolls are required anyway, as they are now going back to fill coverage gaps and capacity.

[NiteSnow]

I'm assuming they will do whatever truck rolls are required anyway, as they are now going back to fill coverage gaps and capacity.

 

Right but it'll cost more money and take more time than it will for Sprint.

[Deval]

Right but it'll cost more money and take more time than it will for Sprint.

 

Yep, but it's Verizon The one thing they have buckets of is money.

 

Did you see their new family data share plans? Instant $$

[Fraydog]

 

Respect goes only so far. Remember, iDEN is the dead weight that brought Sprint nearly to its knees. And many iDEN users are some of the biggest complainers around; they wish that they could keep a wireless carrier and national network stuck in the year 2003 forever.

 

AJ

 

It isn't their fault all the time. Only now do you have a Direct Connect solution that is really compelling for business and government users. Sprint can also put SMR to good use with LTE and 1x Advanced.

 

I suspect QChat can be adapted for use over LTE. When that happens, look out. The whiny iDEN users could be making a comeback.

[S4GRU]

IMHO, this is a good time for Network Vision and LTE deployment. However, the network.sprint.com improvements should have started two years ago and they should have kept up with it. Then customers wouldn't be so antsy waiting for NV.

 

Robert via Galaxy Nexus using Forum Runner