Sprint expands Broadband.
isp-planet.com
Sprint Spreads Spread Spectrum
The No. 3 phone firm broadened its spectrum
portfolio last week through agreements with
other license holders. Since the FCC has
allowed the spectrum to be used for two-way,
high-speed data access, Sprint has intensified
negotiations with license holders.
by ISP-Planet Staff
[April 13, 2001]
Sprint broadened its spectrum portfolio last
week through agreements with other license
holders. Since the FCC has allowed the
spectrum to be used for two-way, high-speed
data access, Sprint has intensified negotiations
with licensees in order to ramp up deploying
Sprint Broadband Direct.
Sprint began offering fixed wireless Internet
access, to select communities across the
country last May. Currently service is available
in more than a dozen markets nationwide.
TV parts
Sprint secured airtime agreements with several
Instructional Television Fixed Service (ITFS)
and Multi-channel, Multi-point Distribution
Service (MMDS) license holders, bringing
Sprint's spectrum portfolio to more than 1,100
channels in 90 markets.
Those agreements provide for flexible use
rights allowing for two-way, cellularized,
broadband voice, video and data services.
More than 40 percent of the entire
ITFS/MMDS band in Sprint's markets has now
been converted from a video-only platform to
a broadband data model.
The Network for Instructional TV, Inc.
(NITV), a national license-holder of ITFS
spectrum, reached an agreement to expand
Sprint's rights to 28 channels across seven key
metropolitan markets. Also reaching agreement
were other major ITFS institutions, including
the University of Arizona and the state of
Indiana's university systems distance learning
group called the Indiana Higher Education
Telecommunication System. These institutions
are two of the largest educational license
holders in the country, thus expanding Sprint's
lease rights for 19 channels in Tucson, Ariz.
and 72 channels throughout Indiana. Sprint
continues to make significant progress in its
licensee relations efforts, completing
agreements with a broad range of licensees,
including more than 20 MMDS-based
commercial licensees.
"The relationship with Sprint helps us maintain
the high level of service our group provides to
distance education both at the University and
with our partners in education in Tucson," said
Joe L. Chitwood, assistant general manager,
MultiMedia KUAT Communications Group at
the University of Arizona. "We will now be
able to migrate from our existing video model
to the broadband data model that will enhance
delivery of education to our students. Without
this agreement we would be unable to move
forward."
Catch-as-catch-can
Todd Rowley, Sprint vice president of
spectrum management, hopes these agreements
will set the stage for continued successful
negotiations with other ITFS and MMDS
spectrum-holders.
"It's a big win for everyone," Rowley said. "It
allows us to move forward with offering our
product, it gives consumers an affordable
alternative to high-speed Internet access and it
provides assistance for ITFS license holders
and educators in bridging the digital divide."
The 15-year NITV agreements give Sprint a
group of four ITFS channels each in St. Louis,
Portland, Ore.; Milwaukee, Tampa, and
Anderson, Bloomington, and Indianapolis, IN.
"These agreements ensure the rollout of
two-way educational services over broadband
in seven markets" said Thomas A. Pyle,
executive director and CEO of NITV. "In
addition to our daily video services reaching
nearly 350,000 students in these markets, NITV
is also helping more than 100,000 K-12
teachers nationwide, each month, use the
Internet more effectively with our Teachers
First Website. These agreements allow us to
take Teachers First, as well as video, to the
next level in achieving our mission of reaching
underserved student populations."
Rowley is encouraged by the great
opportunities these relationships bring to
Sprint's educational partners. "Not only do
these agreements provide for a substantial
revenue stream to educators, but they cover a
substantial portion of the educator's operating
costs, significant equipment grants, access to
technology and, most importantly, the
agreements solve the problematic student
access issues by providing this powerful
broadband wireless network," Rowley
continued.
Currently, Sprint Broadband Direct is available
in Phoenix and Tucson, AZ, Denver and
Colorado Springs, CO, Chicago, Houston, TX,
Detroit, Fresno, San Francisco and San Jose,
CA, Salt Lake City, UT, Oklahoma City, OK,
Melbourne, FL, and Wichita, KA. |
