nextel

Sprint said on Wednesday that is on track to turn off the Nextel iDEN network for good at the end of June. The company previously said it expected to decommission the network by the end of the second quarter.

The shutdown, which will begin on June 30, is part of Sprint's broader Network Vision plan, which includes an upgrade of its existing infrastructure and a move to 4G LTE. The company plans to use the spectrum from the Nextel network to power its 3G and 4G services.

Nextel, however, boasts a loyal base of users that continue to cling … Read more

For Sprint Nextel, it's darkest before the dawn.

Sprint is slated to decommission the Nextel network at the end of June, finally putting to rest one of the worst mergers in corporate history and ridding itself of an awkward dual-network structure that put a hefty, unnecessary burden on the company.

But before Sprint can declare mission accomplished on a turnaround, it'll have to deal with what will undoubtedly be an ugly second quarter.

Sprint earlier Wednesday reported first quarter results that showed a narrower loss and a healthy increase in its adjusted operating earnings. However, a weak performance … Read more

Sprint continues to undergo the painful and awkward transition of shutting down its Nextel network.

The Overland Park, Kan., wireless provider on Wednesday reported a first-quarter loss of $643 million, or 21 cents a share, compared with a loss of $863 million, or 29 cents a share, from a year ago.

Revenue, meanwhile, edged up slightly to $8.79 billion from $8.73 billion a year ago.

The results compare to the loss of 33 cents a share and revenue of $8.71 billion that analysts had projected, according to Thomson Reuters.

Sprint lost a net 415,000 subscribers in … Read more

Dish founder Charlie Ergen is clearly a massive "Seinfeld" fan.

Ergen wasn't shy about providing a shout-out to Jerry Seinfeld's classic situation comedy in discussing Dish's proposed $25.5 billion bid for Sprint Nextel.

In fact, Ergen compared his strategy to an episode of Seinfeld: 28 minutes filled with a lot of scenes that don't make sense, and a final two minutes where everything comes together.

For Dish, Sprint represents that final two minutes. The deal would be the linchpin to a strategy that Ergen said has been in the works for years. Ergen, … Read more

T-Mobile and Dish Network may be the next two companies to walk down the aisle.

Dish Chairman Charlie Ergen informally talked to T-Mobile's parent, Deutsche Telekom, about a potential deal, according to a report by Bloomberg.

Deutsche Telekom, in turn, is considering a deal with Sprint Nextel, but may look to Dish if that merger falls through, the report said.

A deal would give Dish what it has badly coveted for a while: access to an actual wireless network that it can pair with its own satellite-TV service. With the satellite-TV business stagnating, Dish could lean on the faster-growing … Read more

Virgin Mobile wants consumers to know that it's a major player in the no-contract wireless game too, and isn't afraid to spend a little money to show it.

Virgin set its sights directly on T-Mobile, offering $100 to T-Mobile customers willing to switch their number over and buy a smartphone before May 31.

Carriers will often provide incentives to switch, but rarely do they target a specific company. T-Mobile has made a lot of noise about its move to abolish contracts and subsidies, and Virgin Mobile, a business built on prepaid service and a unit of Sprint Nextel, … Read more

Leaked from today's 404 episode:

- The first call from a cell phone was made 40 years ago today.

- The Verge interviews Marty Cooper, father of the cell phone.

- Recalling 1993: Step back 20 years in NYC's past.

- Catching up with the TV show release group responsible for recording, distributing torrents.… Read more

Sprint Nextel is in for a massive overhaul.

The nation's third-largest wireless carrier will finally rid itself of the Nextel albatross -- both the service and the name -- by the end of the first half of the year. It will merge with SoftBank, giving it access to cash to speed its network deployment. It will also acquire full control of Clearwire, giving the company the best spectrum position in the nation, according to one industry official.

The changes represent a massive identity shift for Sprint, and one that brings hope and optimism to the company and its leadership. … Read more

Sprint probably can't wait to excise the Nextel part of its business.

The Overland Park, Kan., wireless carrier reported hefty fourth-quarter subscriber losses on the Nextel side, with more than 1 million customers leaving the service, easily offsetting the gains made on its core Sprint business. In total, it lost 337,000 net customers.

Sprint posted a loss of $1.32 billion, or 44 cents a share, compared with a year-ago loss of $1.3 billion, or 43 cents a share. Revenue, however, rose to $9 billion.

The results were better than expected. Analysts, on average, forecast a per-share … Read more