Sprint and Iridium News
Sprint PCS Customers Will Keep Their Sprint PCS Phone Number When
Using Iridium Service Across the World
KANSAS CITY, Mo., Jan. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Sprint PCS (NYSE: PCS - news) today
announced that it has entered into a Service Provider agreement with Iridium North America to be
the exclusive service provider among PCS and cellular network operators in the Sprint PCS service
area for the direct sale of Iridium satellite service through their national account team. Consumers will
be able to obtain the full range of Iridium products and services through participating Sprint PCS
nationwide distribution channels and Sprint PCS retail stores. Sprint PCS is the nation's largest 100
percent digital, 100 percent PCS nationwide wireless network in the United States, already serving
the majority of the nation's metropolitan areas.
With the Iridium system, Sprint PCS now offers customers who travel outside the United States a
simple, convenient way to stay connected worldwide. And Sprint PCS customers who purchase the
Iridium World Roaming Service and Iridium handset will keep their Sprint PCS phone number while
traveling internationally. The Iridium World Roaming Service will link incompatible wireless networks
and separate charges into a simple solution by registering subscribers on the local wireless network
with their regular wireless telephone number. In addition, calls made and received by Sprint PCS
customers on Iridium phones will appear on the customer's Sprint PCS bill.
''Sprint PCS already serves more than 260 metropolitan markets across the country with our
all-digital, nationwide PCS network,'' said Ronald Sanders, president of business sales for Sprint
PCS. ''And now we can deliver a system that offers our customers service in the rest of the world.
This agreement, brings together the two companies which are changing the shape of wireless
coverage, Sprint PCS and Iridium, driving both the first uniform national wireless technology
platform and the first worldwide satellite platform.''
Jim Walz, President of Iridium North America said, ''This agreement with Sprint PCS is critical for
customers who want an integrated global communications solution. Through this relationship
consumers will have the ability to communicate seamlessly on a worldwide basis.''
The Iridium system is a natural extension of the Sprint PCS nationwide wireless network that allows
the company to effectively expand its coverage territory beyond the United States to the entire
planet. In the near future, the agreement also provides international travelers the ability to roam onto
the Sprint PCS network when visiting the United States. Worldwide wireless subscribers are
expected to more than double in the next decade, but current communications networks cover only
10% of the Earth.
With the introduction of the Iridium system, consumers will have global functionality for the first time
ever -- through the first truly global, hand-held wireless voice and paging service.
The Iridium System is a breakthrough solution that will route previously incompatible calls through
land-based telephone systems when customers are within range of terrestrial wireless network
coverage. When no wireless coverage is available, the phones will communicate directly with the 66
low-Earth orbiting satellites, which function as wireless phone antennas in the sky. Consumers can
now maintain communications in any city around the world with their own wireless phone and phone
number.
In addition to agreements with wireless network operators, Iridium North America also has
partnerships with service providers in the maritime, broadcast, transportation, oil and gas, and
government sectors.
Iridium North America is the sole owner and operator of Iridium services in North America. The
Iridium System combines the worldwide reach of 66 low-earth-orbit satellites and will provide
additional access to multiple wireless systems and standards. The company is actively working with
distribution partners to provide customers service that permits any type of telephone
transmission-voice, paging, data and fax to reach its destination virtually anywhere on Earth, at any
time. The Iridium portfolio will facilitate communications for the traveling professional, residents of
rural or underdeveloped areas, disaster relief teams and others.
Iridium North America is headquartered in Tempe, Arizona and services the United States, Canada,
Bermuda and Puerto Rico. Iridium North America is backed by three telecommunication industry
leaders who are at the forefront of integrating communication services: Motorola, Inc., Sprint
Corporation [NYSE:FON - news] and Iridium Canada, Inc. Commercial service for the Iridium
System was launched on November 1, 1998.
For additional information regarding the Iridium System, please visit the Web site at
(http://www.Iridium.com). Iridium World Communications (Nasdaq: IRIDF - news) is the public
investment vehicle of Iridium LLC.
Sprint PCS operates the largest 100 percent digital, 100 percent PCS nationwide wireless network
in the United States, already serving the majority of the nation's metropolitan areas including more
than 4,000 cities and communities across the country. Sprint PCS has licensed PCS coverage of
nearly 270 million people in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. For more
information, visit the Sprint PCS web site at sprintpcs.com. Sprint PCS is a
wholly-owned tracking group of Sprint Corporation trading on the NYSE under the symbol ''PCS.''
Sprint is a global communications company at the forefront in integrating long distance, local and
wireless communications services and one of the world's largest carriers of Internet traffic. Sprint
built and operates the United States' only nationwide all-digital, fiber optic network and is the leader
in advanced data communications services. Sprint has $15 billion in annual revenues and serves
more than 17 million business and residential customers.
SOURCE: Sprint PCS |
