Sprint to dump Nextel?

[DonS]

I've had Sprint in the south SF Bay area for about 10 years. In that time, I've gone through 4 phones (because I kept wanting the "latest and greatest"), have only called customer service when I wanted to activate a new phone, and have had no complaints about my bills, coverage, or service.

I'll leave Sprint if/when it doesn't work for me. If "past performance is an indicator of future performance", that won't be any time soon.

Of course, I never did use the "not a cell phone" Nextel service, so maybe that has contributed to my satisfaction.

 

[Gilligan]

I have used Nextel for about 1 1/2 hears and I love it. Before that I had US Cellular and really had no complaints, but I needed Push-to-talk service and Nextel has the best. I'm considering switching to the hybrid because of the ability to roam onto other networks where there is no Nextel coverage (away from major cities & interstates).

Having said that, how many features do you really lose by switching from Nextel to hybrid? So far I've only seen an addition of features and options.

 

[troymail]

I have used Nextel for about 1 1/2 hears and I love it. Before that I had US Cellular and really had no complaints, but I needed Push-to-talk service and Nextel has the best. I'm considering switching to the hybrid because of the ability to roam onto other networks where there is no Nextel coverage (away from major cities & interstates).

Having said that, how many features do you really lose by switching from Nextel to hybrid? So far I've only seen an addition of features and options.

My organization does alot of text messaging/paging for "dispatching" (automated, not phone to phone or via a keyboard)... With Nextel, you can SNPP which is pretty reliable and FAST. When people got hybrid phones, that was no longer available and all we had for them was SMTP (email) paging... slower and much more difficult to set up and get working (authentication issues, etc.). The worst problem was that Sprint was unable or unwilling to provide any help and my folks were complaining to me to fix it for them. I think the sales people told people that you'd have everything and more... not true. There had to be other issues because everyone I know that went to a hybrid phone left after a brief period of time and some didn't even return to Nextel.

 

[XTS3000]

This whole Nextel/Sprint split (if they can even sell Nextel) has nothing to do with rebanding. Whoever buys Nextel has to continue the switchover to the new blocks of freqs the FCC gave them. It doesn't matter who owns Mextel, they just have to vacate the 800Mhz band - PERIOD.

A friend who works as a nextel technician mentioned Nextel lost more than 750,000 subs in the last 8 months. That doesn't look good for prospective buyers.

When Sprint bought Nextel years ago, the Nextel infrastructure needed major updating and replacement of most of their aging equipment. Nextel didn't tell Spring that the Nextelsystem they were buying was very old and needed a complete overhall. Now that Sprint bought Nextel, they have not put much if any money into infrastructure.

 

[countryboy879]

well about boost mobile they work off of iden system? i love the two way feature!!! i'll never leave the nextel network!!!!

 

[WayneH]

I receive the cancellation notices for /\/\ products and iDEN and Harmony go away within the year.

So when is Motorola saying they're no longer supporting it? In your first post you said Motorola is not supporting it now and now you say sometime this year.

From my perspective (as someone who maintains iDEN equipment) I'm not seeing a change in support from Motorola. Sprint even had a "roadshow" recently where they (and a rep from Motorola) said they're continuing to produce devices for iDEN networks.

There's an older model of the 800 base radio that I've heard is supposed to be no longer supported by future software releases but I haven't seen further push to get them out of sites.

 

[Astro25]

I've owned/used Nexthell twice - once as a work issued phone, and once as a personal phone. Needless to say, on both accounts the service sucked.

Ditched 'em and went with AT&T. I did have Sprint at one point however, and they were actually decent. But the coverage I got on Nextel (and all the calls I missed, even when the phone didn't tell me) sucked.

 

[rescuecomm]

Verizon huh? I tried to get a $79.95 family share plan with a public safety discount three months ago. I somehow got a tiered plan with two invoices a month. The local manager says that my 312 dollar monthly bills are over, but somehow I doubt it. If the next one is that high, I am going to buy out and go somewhere else. What a crock!

Bob

 

[WayneH]

There's an older model of the 800 base radio that I've heard is supposed to be no longer supported by future software releases but I haven't seen further push to get them out of sites.

I just confirmed this. It's not all iDEN equipment. Just the "Pre-97" and other misc.


Anyhow, I have both a Nextel phone and Sprint and I have better coverage with Nextel yet better phone service with Sprint. Since Verizon is CDMA on 800 I can see the service being better. When you put the 1900 shoe on to their foot you can see they aren't doing that great either (Since their EVDO is on 1900). Around here Sprint's DO is a hell of a lot better than Verizon's.

I've had the chance to play with the new CDMA PTT service and it's pretty snazzy. Doing talkgroup calling isn't as complicated as it was with Nextel (i.e., account setup for the average user and billing). CDMA PTT will support ad-hoc group creation lists too.

 

[kd5dga]

I had read a few articals about Sprint and Nextel's problems and especially with the delays on WIMAX. I figure that if Nextel cant get their obligations in order then Sprint may have a "white elephant" on their hands.

 

[Stick0413]

When Sprint bought Nextel years ago, the Nextel infrastructure needed major updating and replacement of most of their aging equipment. Nextel didn't tell Spring that the Nextelsystem they were buying was very old and needed a complete overhall. Now that Sprint bought Nextel, they have not put much if any money into infrastructure.

At the same time though Sprint had some idea what they were getting into. Its not as if they had no clue what the Nextel infrastructure was like.

 

[kenisned]

When Sprint bought Nextel years ago, the Nextel infrastructure needed major updating and replacement of most of their aging equipment. Nextel didn't tell Spring that the Nextelsystem they were buying was very old and needed a complete overhall. Now that Sprint bought Nextel, they have not put much if any money into infrastructure.

There is no way that Sprint didn't know this before they purchased Nextel. I'm sure there was due dilligence performed on the assets as part of the purchase agreement.

I think that most of you miss the point. Did Sprint buy Nextel for their system (IDEN or otherwise)? Or simply to get dibs on their subscribers.

 

[kd5dga]

Here is some breaking news;
http://rfdesign.com/news/lead-story/spring-clearwire-combine-wimax-0513/

 

[N4DES]

Sprint saw this as a way to get nationwide 800 MHz spectrum without going to bid, as did Nextel when they were an individual company. As most of knew rebanding is becoming very expensive and drawn out and Sprint is now seeing it as the bastard stepchild.

 

[letarotor]

Simpler is Better!

I've been with Sprint for years, on my third phone. Never had a problem with customer service (can't remember the last time I ever had to talk to a Sprint employee in India!), but then again I've never changed my plan (maybe thats the reason?). The service on my phone is clear and sharp, I know where I can use it and where I can't, and even know when its going to cut out as I drive around town. Its a cell phone, I use it to talk to people. I don't want to text, browse stupid web sites or receive sports updates! I've got plenty of radios that go beep when I key the microphone, I don't want my stupid cell phone to do the same thing! I have several friends with AT&T phones and I can't stand talking with them. The audio is usually muffled, you hear about every other word and its a ***** to carry on any kind of intelligent conversation. I would rather have a service that provides clear conversation but occasionally drops a call, rather than one where you can't understand the person you're talking with because you miss every other word. Sometimes, simpler is better!

Mark

 

[garys]

There is no way that Sprint didn't know this before they purchased Nextel. I'm sure there was due dilligence performed on the assets as part of the purchase agreement.

I think that most of you miss the point. Did Sprint buy Nextel for their system (IDEN or otherwise)? Or simply to get dibs on their subscribers.

The latter. Sprint wanted to make a move into the public safety market and Nextel was already there. We were using a combination of Nextel and Cingular at the time, with data cards by Verizon because they had better speed that Cingular. Now we have mostly Sprint including Blackberries and data cards. We have a few users on Nextel because they want or need the direct connect and a small number of ATT users. We're down to one Verizon card, and that will probably be converted over very shortly.

Our Telecom guy says that once Sprint figured out that Nextel had better customer service for government users, they pretty much replaced their system with Nextel's. Neither Verizon nor ATT give much preference to government users.

Sprint certainly new about the rebanding before buying Nextel and I'm sure they knew how much of the Nextel infrastructure they would have to upgrade. At the time of the purchase I thought that they would eventually abandon the iDen system and migrate everyone to Sprint. If they can build a decent direct connect, they can do that.

Gary

 

[N4DES]

There is no way that Sprint didn't know this before they purchased Nextel. I'm sure there was due dilligence performed on the assets as part of the purchase agreement.

I think that most of you miss the point. Did Sprint buy Nextel for their system (IDEN or otherwise)? Or simply to get dibs on their subscribers.

Sprint wants the current 821-823/866-869 NPSPAC band once public safety moves out. This way they can compete with the other "800 CDMA & GSM" carriers with just moving the current users out of it and it wil be nationwide virgin spectrum.

This in itself is more valuable than any of the subscriber base.

 

[bigray246]

Sprint/Nextel

So now what happens on June 26th.? I doubt they can get millions of users off Nextel in less than 4 weeks. Many of us have the IC502's are we Sprint customers or Nextel? What happens to the direct connect? Or is nothing going to happen? Ray

 

[N4DES]

The requirement is not to turn off the iDEN system and migrate all the users elsewhere. What is required is for NEXTEL to vacate the 806-809/851-853 MHz of the spectrum, which has been called the "lower 120's" so the NPSPAC users can begin populating it.

The end user shouldn't see any changes in service.

 

[N467RX]

So now what happens on June 26th.? I doubt they can get millions of users off Nextel in less than 4 weeks. Many of us have the IC502's are we Sprint customers or Nextel? What happens to the direct connect? Or is nothing going to happen? Ray

I hope nothing happens, I'm plannning to get a phone that works with no issues both in the US and Mexico, and Nextel seems to be the ideal one. If they kill Nextel, I'll just go somewhere else, but not with Sprint.