Sprint PCS Allows NFL/Fans to Stay Connected at Super Bowl XXXII
Sprint PCS Offers Clear Communications, Clear Across the Country
KANSAS CITY, Mo., Jan. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Sprint PCS, the nation's first and largest 100 percent digital nationwide PCS (Personal Communication Services) provider and official wireless provider for the NFL, will offer fans the ability to stay connected at Super Bowl XXXII. Sprint PCS will be distributing nearly 1,500 Sprint and QUALCOMM co-branded phones to the NFL, its sponsors and the media to help enhance communications throughout all aspects of the Super Bowl and its related fan activities.
''Sprint PCS is pleased to be the official wireless provider for the NFL,'' said Bruce Crair, vice president and general manager for Sprint PCS in Southern California/Nevada. ''According to the San Diego Regional Economic Corporation, San Diego is known as the 'Wireless Communications Capital of the World' and it's the city where our digital technology, Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), was pioneered by QUALCOMM. NFL event organizers and fans will get to experience the clarity and convenience of Sprint PCS service. We're excited to showcase the benefits of our 100 percent digital, 100 percent CDMA nationwide wireless network in San Diego and in particular, at QUALCOMM Stadium, home of Super Bowl XXXII.''
Sprint PCS Brings More Than Just Wireless Communications to the Super Bowl
To add to the festive atmosphere of the Super Bowl, Sprint PCS will be the presenting sponsor for the QUALCOMM SuperFest XXXII, a free music and food festival on January 23 and 24. This Super Bowl Host Committee-sanctioned event is a two-day public street festival in downtown San Diego's historic Gaslamp Quarter to showcase the tastes, arts, sounds and culture of San Diego. It will include four stages with local, regional and national musical entertainment, street performers, exhibits and NFL players -- inviting all people in San Diego to participate in the Super Bowl XXXII experience.
The NFL Experience (NFLX) -_ presented by Coca-Cola and Sprint, is the official interactive football theme park of the NFL created to give local fans a chance to participate directly in Super Bowl festivities. As the League's largest continuous Super Bowl event, NFLX will include more than 50 football games and attractions spread out over 600,000 square feet. At NFLX, Sprint will sponsor the Sprint Stadium where fans listen to a message from Marcus Allen, running back for the Kansas City Chiefs, with the aid of Sprint PCS phones as well as make a free phone call.
Fans can also participate in ''Inside the Huddle,'' an interactive game that allows fans to call an actual play using NFL coaches' headsets and then watch their play unfold on a Jumbotron screen. These fans can experience the same technology that the NFL Headquarters, players, coaches and media are using at Super Bowl XXXII.
Wireless Connections at the Super Bowl
Fans, event organizers, past and present NFL players, coaches and hundreds of media will be using Sprint PCS wireless service to help prepare for the largest U.S. sporting event -_ Super Bowl XXXII. With all the activities surrounding the Super Bowl, immediate anytime, anywhere communications is critical.
''Because I travel so much for ABC Sports covering college and NFL football, I have a tremendous need to be in contact with my office and teams from all over the country,'' said Lynn Swann, ABC network broadcaster and former NFL All-Pro. ''While I'm on the field getting ready for a broadcast, I can call into my office or anywhere else to get information on breaking stories. Sprint PCS is a clear, reliable and consistent communications system that keeps me one step ahead.''
NFL players also enjoy the convenience of Sprint PCS to keep in touch with their friends and family while traveling with their team. ''When you spend a great deal of time traveling, staying in touch with your family and friends can really give you added support and encouragement,'' said Marcus Allen, running back for the Kansas City Chiefs. ''Knowing that my wife and I can be in touch at anytime gives me peace of mind, which helps me focus my attention on the game at hand.''
Sprint PCS has been providing Sprint and QUALCOMM co-branded phones and service to the staff charged with planning and executing Super Bowl-related events for several months. ''Hosting an event of this magnitude is a huge undertaking,'' said Chuck Nichols, president of the Super Bowl XXXII Host Committee. ''The logistics involved are immense and we've been in the planning stages for more than a year. Having a Sprint PCS phone has allowed me to be in constant communication with my staff, enabling me to make immediate, real- time decisions even when I'm away from the office.''
Fans in San Diego attending the Super Bowl will also get the opportunity to make free wireless calls to anyone in the country compliments of Sprint PCS. Football fans can call their friends and family to brag about their favorite team or just talk about the many Super Bowl activities happening throughout game week. Sprint PCS will offer free calls from kiosks located throughout the various Super Bowl-related events.
''When we began our Super Bowl planning this past spring, one of our primary goals was to sponsor events which were open and accessible to the general public,'' said Don McGuire, area vice president for Sprint PCS in San Diego. ''Through our contributions to the Host Committee and our sponsorships of Super Bowl-related events, we believe we've helped make it possible for San Diegans and visitors alike to experience the excitement of the Super Bowl, even if they don't have a ticket to the actual game.''
As San Francisco is known for its Silicon Valley, so is San Diego known for its ''Telecom Valley.'' Today, there are more than 19,000 people employed in San Diego-based communications companies including Sprint PCS, Sprint Corporation [NYSE:FON - news], QUALCOMM and many others. These companies are the nucleus behind the next generation of telecommunications technology.
San Diego is recognized as the birthplace of CDMA digital wireless technology. Dr. Irwin M. Jacobs, chairman and chief executive officer of QUALCOMM, pioneered CDMA digital technology and the company has licensed it to more than 50 other world-class telecommunications manufacturers. Today, QUALCOMM is one of the world's largest manufacturers of CDMA digital equipment including cellular and PCS digital phones, fixed wireless phones, wireless data products, network infrastructure and chip sets. Digital CDMA systems have been deployed in countries around the world that now serve more than 4 million subscribers world-wide.
Sprint PCS chose this technology for its nationwide network because of the superior benefits of CDMA. In just 18 months, Sprint PCS launched its digital wireless network nationwide, a similar task that took the cellular industry more than 14 years. Today, Sprint PCS service is available in more than 130 metropolitan markets including more than 600 cities. Sprint PCS is the nation's first and largest PCS network in the country.
In addition, Sprint PCS and its Southern California affiliate Cox Communications were among the first to put convergence into action by combining its digital network with cable television. Through its pioneering technology, Cox Communications has sited a series of Cable Microcell Integrators (CMI) enabling Sprint PCS to deploy more than 50 percent of its San Diego network over its existing cable operations. But the real test is in customer satisfaction. Recently, J.D. Power and Associates(SM) ranked Sprint PCS highest for overall customer satisfaction among wireless providers in San Diego and Washington D.C./Baltimore.
Sprint PCS has the largest 100 percent digital, 100 percent PCS nationwide wireless network in the United States, already serving 134 metropolitan markets which include more than 600 major cities. Sprint PCS plans to serve the top 100 U.S. metropolitan areas over the next two years. Sprint PCS, together with its affiliates and Sprint Corporation, has licensed PCS coverage of nearly 260 million people in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Sprint PCS is a partnership of Sprint Corporation, Tele- Communications, Inc. (TCI), Cox Communications, Inc. and Comcast Corporation [Nasdaq:CMCSA - news].
Cox Communications PCS L.P., doing business as Sprint PCS, is the operating business unit providing Sprint PCS service to the San Diego-Los Angeles Major Trading Area (MTA) which includes southern California, southwestern Nevada and northwestern Arizona. Recently Cox Communications PCS, L.P. won the Personal Communications Industry Association's (PCIA's) prestigious Wireless Award for Vision and Excellence in Technology, for the development and deployment of Cox Communications' pioneering cable-based PCS technology.
For more information, visit the Sprint PCS web site at www.sprintpcs.com.
J.D. Power and Associates 1997 Wireless Customer Satisfaction Study(SM). Study based on 10,118 wireless telephone subscribers in 18 of the top U.S. markets. The San Diego Market includes San Diego County.
SOURCE: Sprint PCS |
