Sprint and Crown Castle Extend Relationship to Enable Network Vision

[Evan702]

Deal between Sprint and Crown Castle represents an important milestone in the delivery of Network Vision, clearing the way for spectrum flexibility and creating a high degree of cost predictability for Sprint

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (BUSINESS WIRE), July 27, 2011 - Sprint (NYSE:S) today announced it has amended important contracts with Crown Castle (NYSE:CCI) to enable the delivery of the next-generation networks through Sprint’s Network Vision plan. The agreement impacts more than 10,000 of Sprint’s nationwide cell sites.

Network Vision, announced in December, is expected to provide an enhanced network experience by improving voice quality and providing faster data speeds while creating network flexibility, reducing operating costs and improving environmental sustainability. The agreement with Crown Castle helps enable several of these benefits.

The agreement:

*Establishes uniform rates for deploying all Network Vision sites rather than negotiating tower contracts on a site-by-site basis. This provides a high degree of cost predictability to Sprint as its network evolves and grows.
*Provides Sprint with the flexibility it needs to deploy next-generation technologies and to affect its future migration from iDEN.
*Could enable a quicker deployment of Network Vision by allowing Sprint to operate existing equipment simultaneously with the new Network Vision equipment for a period of time to ensure a smooth transition for customers.

“We are pleased to reach this agreement with Crown Castle as we evolve our networks to meet the needs of our growing customer base,” said John Harrison, Sprint vice president, network supplier performance management. “We look forward to a continued relationship as we roll out Network Vision sites nationwide.”

Since the announcement of Network Vision, Sprint has been aggressively working with its vendors to plan, test and begin site preparations. In the lab, calls have successfully been completed on 800 MHz 1x voice, 1x data and SMS. Nineteen hundred calls on MHz 1x voice, 1x data, SMS and EVDO have also been completed. Work has begun on thousands of sites and renegotiation of existing contracts with tower companies is an important step in launching these sites later this year.

[503ducati]

It sounds like their getting their ducks in a row.