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Sprint Announces Industry First: Wireless Data Service Level Agreements for Business Customers

Posted on: Monday, 14 March 2005, 00:00 CST

OVERLAND PARK, Kan., and NEW ORLEANS, March 14 /PRNewswire/ -- CTIA Wireless 2005 -- Sprint today announced a precedent-setting industry first: performance commitments for its business customers in the way of nationwide wireless data Service Level Agreements (SLAs).

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20001013/SPRINTLOGO )

The SLAs back the performance of Sprint's wireless network -- unlike its competitors' -- with credits to businesses with corporate-sponsored (or company-paid) wireless subscribers. The SLAs provide performance metrics based on dropped data sessions, blocked data sessions and data network availability.

The new SLAs -- in conjunction with previously announced wireless voice SLAs -- are a key component of Sprint's strategy to erase the artificial barriers between wireless and wireline solutions and encourage greater wireless data usage among business customers.

"By making businesses as comfortable with the performance of their wireless networks as they are on the wireline side, we can deliver the predictability and control they need for their wireless communications," said Kathy Walker, executive vice president - Network Services, Sprint. "In turn, this will help encourage greater use of wireless for both voice and data. Sprint is confident in our network and the ability to perform at world-class levels. As with our wireless voice SLAs, we're putting real teeth into this promise -- credits back if we miss."

The new wireless data SLAs provide the following:

-- Less than 2.00 percent data blocks - If the national average wireless

data blocks for the Sprint-owned CDMA network is two percent or more

during any month, then the customer may be eligible for a service

credit of 10 percent of the monthly recurring charge for the wireless

data services. A wireless data session is considered blocked if the

user is unable to establish the wireless data session while within the

coverage area defined in the SLA due to failure of the Sprint-owned

CDMA Network. The coverage area does not currently include affiliate

networks.

-- Less than 1.00 percent data drops - If the national average for the

wireless data drops for the Sprint-owned CDMA network is one percent or

more during any month, then the customer may be eligible for a service

credit of 10 percent of the monthly recurring charge for the wireless

data services. A wireless data session is considered dropped if the

user experiences an uninitiated termination of a data service

connection within the coverage area defined in the SLA. The coverage

area does not include affiliate networks, and EV-DO performance is not

measured for this metric.

-- 99.5 Percent Wireless Network Data Availability - If the national

average wireless network data availability for the Sprint-owned CDMA

network during any month is less than 99.5 percent, then the customer

may be eligible for a service credit of 10 percent of the monthly

recurring charge for the wireless data services. The availability of

network elements used to support a data session determines the overall

service availability. The coverage area does not currently include

affiliate networks.

The introduction of wireless data SLAs helps build on Sprint's strategy to encourage business adoption of wireless and eliminate the artificial line between wireless and wireline services by developing integrated solutions. Along with the Sprint Extended Workplace and Sprint Managed Mobility Services (also announced today), these announcements highlight Sprint's focus on the high-growth wireless area of its business, in addition to Internet-based services and multiproduct bundles. These new services continue a series of "firsts" by Sprint for business customers. Last year, for example, Sprint became the first wireless provider to offer a nationwide Service Level Agreement on its wireless voices services and the first to transmit commercial traffic at 40 Gbps on an IP data network.

"The addition of wireless data SLAs is complementary to the wireless voice SLAs Sprint implemented last August," said Gene Signorini, program manager for the Yankee Group's Wireless/Mobile Enterprise & Commerce advisory service. "Enterprise customers are looking for a carrier who provides high-performing wireless data service and is willing to back that up with quality assurance. These SLAs are further proof that Sprint is committed to meeting their business customer needs."

Sprint Wireless Data SLAs also complement Sprint's eventual deployment of broadband EV-DO (Evolution Data Optimized) technology across its wireless network. EV-DO will accelerate wireless data speeds up to 10 times faster than on today's network, enabling LAN-like access to critical information.

Sprint's wireless data SLAs demonstrate the focus the company has recently placed on the customer experience. Sprint created these SLAs to address feedback it received directly from customers. Sprint will make its performance against these metrics available to customers in order to facilitate easy, efficient management. There are exceptions to the SLAs in certain circumstances, such as natural disasters and force majeure events.

About Sprint

Sprint is a global integrated communications provider serving more than 26 million customers in over 100 countries. With more than 61,000 employees worldwide and over $26 billion in annual revenues in 2003, Sprint is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying state-of-the-art network technologies, including the United States' first nationwide all-digital, fiber-optic network and an award-winning Tier 1 Internet backbone. Sprint provides local communications services in 39 states and the District of Columbia and operates the largest 100-percent digital, nationwide PCS wireless network in the United States. For more information, visit http://www.sprint.com/ .

Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20001013/SPRINTLOGOAP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com

Sprint

CONTACT: Media, Amy Schiska-Lombard of Sprint, +1-913-794-2947,amy.k.schiska@mail.sprint.com

Web site: http://www.sprint.com/

Source: PRNewswire

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