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| [January 10, 2013] |
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Sprint Prepares its Network for 2013 Presidential Inauguration
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. --(Business Wire)--
With an estimated 600,000 to 800,000 people expected to attend the 2013
Presidential Inauguration, Sprint
(NYSE:S) is well prepared to help ensure customers and public safety
officials in Washington, D.C. can seamlessly use their smartphones,
tablets and hotspot devices to talk, text, email, and post memorable
moments to their favorite social media channels.
Sprint (News - Alert) has been aggressively preparing for the inauguration since April
2012 - boosting wireless voice capacity by 25 percent and increasing
data capacity by 37 percent for numerous cell sites around the National
Mall and downtown Washington, D.C.
Other Sprint preparations include:
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Deploying three Cell Sites on Wheels (COWs) at key locations near and
around the National Mall - including the Smithsonian National Air and
Space Museum and the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History -
to further enhance the wireless experience of inauguration attendees.
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Installing in-building repeaters at the Capital Hilton hotel, the
Washington Marriott Wardman Park hotel, and The Mayflower Renaissance
Washington DC Hotel to boost wireless coverage throughout these
locations for hotel guests and the venues' numerous inauguration
events.
Between the last inauguration in 2009 and the end of 2011, Sprint has
invested approximately $300 million to further improve the wireless
voice and data experience for customers in the Washington, D.C. market.
In 2012, Sprint began investing significantly in the deployment of
Network Vision - Sprint's program to deploy an all-new 3G and 4G LTE (News - Alert)
network. That investment will ramp up even more in Washington, D.C. in
2013, as Network Vision is scheduled to launch in the area in the coming
months. Some cell sites in the Washington, D.C. metro area have already
been upgraded with Sprint's new 3G and 4G LTE capabilities, and Sprint
will continue to fill in the market's overall Network Vision footprint
during the coming months.
"Sprint has a great history of providing reliable and resilient wireless
communications for large-scale events, including the 2009 Presidential
Inauguration, which dramatically broke past attendance records," said
Joe Meyer, vice president-Network Service Management, Sprint. "And with
the increased use of smartphones, tablets and social media sites since
that time, Sprint has takn even greater measures to ensure Inauguration
Day is an enjoyable wireless experience for all Sprint customers who
have traveled from near and far to attend the commemorative events, and
who depend on Sprint's network for a truly unlimited data experience."
Sprint ERT supports public safety officials on Inauguration Day
The Sprint
Emergency Response Team (ERT) is also coordinating closely with
various government and enterprise organizations that are supporting the
inaugural events by providing connectivity tools and access to critical
communications networks, including:
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Deploying a Satellite Cell Site on Light Truck (SatCOLT) to provide
augmented and dedicated wireless network coverage, as well as
interoperability among private radio networks completely independent
of the local power, telephone, and terrestrial IP infrastructure.
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Fully charged Sprint
Direct Connect and Nextel Direct Connect® devices and services to
first responders, public safety and emergency management officials for
redundant, interoperable communications between the various agencies.
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Remote, high-bandwidth Satellite IP Data services to law enforcement
for access to critical situational awareness tools and systems.
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GPS tracking systems for ambulances and para-transit vehicles.
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Sprint ERT Go-Kits™ which provide first responders immediate access to
mobile communications tools for emergencies, including fully charged
cell phones and Sprint Mobile Broadband devices.
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Activation of the government-run Wireless Priority Service (WPS) for
approved agencies. This service is available upon request to first
responders and emergency management personnel for a nominal fee.
Created in 2002, the Sprint Emergency Response Team is a group of
seasoned personnel fully dedicated to providing wireless
telecommunications and IP equipment, infrastructure and operations in
support of communications continuity to military, government, tribal,
and enterprise organizations during natural disasters, National Special
Security Events, field training exercises, emergencies and
agency/corporate specific events.
Since its creation, Sprint ERT has conducted more than 5,200
deployments, and provided emergency wireless support for more than 1,250
events. Anyone seeking information about services from the Sprint
Emergency Response Team should call 1-888-639-0020 or email ERTRequests@sprint.com.
About Sprint Nextel (News - Alert)
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 (News - Alert) 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. You can learn more and visit Sprint at www.sprint.com
or www.facebook.com/sprint
and www.twitter.com/sprint.
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