Sprint and Alltel Announce 10-Year Roaming-Service Deal By AMOL SHARMA
May 9, 2006; Page B4 http://online.wsj.com/article/SB114714126026947459.html?mod=technology_main_whats_news Sprint Nextel Corp. and Alltel Corp. announced a 10-year roaming-service deal that would expand their coverage areas and reduce some rates for subscribers. Under the agreement, to take effect July 1, Sprint and Alltel customers will get reduced roaming rates when they go beyond their coverage area and are picked up on the other company's network. The deal, unveiled today, will cover cellphone calls as well as new wireless Internet services. The roaming agreement could give Sprint an edge over competitor Verizon Wireless, a joint venture of Verizon Communications Inc. and Vodafone Group PLC, in the race to extend wireless broadband access to more American consumers. Those services allow consumers to access the Internet wirelessly through a card they insert into their laptops. The deal is Sprint's first major roaming agreement for broadband service. Sprint says its broadband-access service currently covers more than 150 million consumers in 220 communities and will be available to 190 million consumers by year end. Verizon Wireless has made its broadband service available to 154 million consumers, a spokesman said. Under the deal with Alltel, Sprint's customers also will get access to Alltel's data services, such as text messaging, in areas where Sprint doesn't make those services available. For Alltel, the deal gives its customers the flexibility to roam onto the network of a third major carrier. The company has a roaming deal with Verizon Wireless through 2010 and recently extended its agreement with Cingular Wireless, a joint venture of AT&T Inc. and BellSouth Corp., to last through 2012. Neither of those deals covers data or Internet-access services. Telecommunications industry analysts consider Alltel a valuable acquisition target for Verizon Wireless -- and possibly Sprint -- because it uses the same wireless technology, CDMA, to deliver signals to customers. Alltel has basic roaming agreements with other carriers, so that its consumers always can get service, but those arrangements aren't at reduced rates. ================================ George Antunes, Political Science Dept University of Houston; Houston, TX 77204 Voice: 713-743-3923 Fax: 713-743-3927 antunes at uh dot edu Reply with a "Thank you" if you liked this post. _____________________________ MEDIANEWS mailing list medianews@twiar.org To unsubscribe send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
