Sprint Nextel Cell Phones

Sprint Nextel cell phones are currently offered under the Sprint PCS and Nextel brands. In addition to Sprint Nextel cell phones, they offer landline, long distance, business telecommunications, and internet service provider under the name SprintLink.

Sprint Nextel cell phones can also be activated through their pre-paid services through the Boost Mobile brand, and it provides services in the Philippines through the Next Mobile brand. Sprint Nextel wholesales capacity on its PCS wireless network to companies called Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNO); this means the MVNO uses the Sprint PCS cell phone network for coverage. The MVNOs resell wireless services using their own brand. Current MVNOs using the PCS network to provide coverage include Virgin Mobile, EarthLink, and Qwest. Sprint Nextel has also announced other upcoming MVNO partnerships, including ESPN, Movida Wireless, and Disney.

On December 15, 2004, Sprint and NEXTEL announced they would merge to form Sprint Nextel Corporation. While billed as a merger of equals, the transaction was actually the purchase of NEXTEL Communications by Sprint Corporation. At the time of the merger announcement Sprint and NEXTEL were the No. 3 and No. 5 leading providers in the US mobile phone industry. The combined Sprint Nextel cell phone company remains in the No. 3 position.

Sprint and NEXTEL shareholders overwhelmingly approved the merger on July 13, 2005. The Sprint Nextel cell phone merger deal was approved by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and U.S. Department of Justice on August 3, 2005. The FCC placed a condition on the merger that Sprint Nextel is to provide wireless service within the 2.5 GHz band within the next four years. Sprint Nextel was officially formed on August 12, 2005, when the deal was completed.

Sprint and NEXTEL both faced opposition to the merger, mostly from Sprint Nextel cell phone regional affiliates that provide wireless services on behalf of the companies. These regional affiliates felt that the new company would be violating non-compete agreements that the former companies had made with the affiliates. Sprint Nextel has made a settlement with an affiliate named Ubiqutel that Sprint won't be providing any Nextel service within the Ubiqutel service limits. Other affiliates have also filed lawsuits against Sprint Nextel.

In 2005, Sprint Nextel cell phones acquired three of its wireless affiliates, US Unwired (deal closed in August), Gulf Coast Wireless (deal closed in October), and IWO Holdings (deal closed in October). Analysts speculate that Sprint Nextel cell phones will acquire additional affiliates.

On September 1, 2005, Sprint Nextel cell phones were offered in combined plan offerings of Sprint PCS and Nextel brands to bring more uniformity across the company's offerings.

Sprint PCS is the main wireless brand of Sprint Nextel cell phones, and was the main brand of the former Sprint Corporation.
The Sprint Nextel cell phone network operates on the 3G wireless standard, which is part of the Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) standard.

Sprint Nextel cell phones maintain their nationwide cell phone presence with the help of affiliates. These smaller companies, in agreement with Sprint Nextel cell phones, build network infrastructure as well as operate retail stores. In exchange, the smaller companies receive usage of Sprint's brand, radio spectrum, customer service and billing. In most cases, these affiliate carriers are transparent to the end user or consumer. Alamosa PCS is the largest of its affiliate carriers, the others are Ubiquitel, iPCS, Shentel, Enterprise, Northern PCS, and Swiftel.