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Sprint Readies for Tropical Storm Arlene

Posted on: Thursday, 9 June 2005, 18:00 CDT

OVERLAND PARK, Kan., June 9 /PRNewswire/ -- As Tropical Storm Arlene enters the Gulf of Mexico, Sprint technicians are taking proactive measures to keep the lines of communication open for its customers in the storm's path. Forecasters say Arlene could hit anywhere from the Florida Panhandle to Louisiana sometime Saturday.

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

"We are monitoring the storm's path and will mobilize personnel and equipment if this storm becomes an issue," said John Quigley, director - Network Operations, Sprint. "Our goal is to keep wireline and wireless communications open for our customers."

Quigley adds that when tropical storms and hurricanes hit, power is a major concern. "Sprint has a well-defined process for prioritizing our most critical sites for restoration and a fleet of mobile generators to respond quickly and strategically to any outage," said Quigley.

Each year, Sprint spends countless labor hours and dollars to safeguard its network from the effects of hurricanes and severe weather. "Our technicians are constantly checking the network and identifying areas to be updated or safeguarded from potential damage," said Lou Carrion, vice president - Customer Service Operations, Sprint. "Sprint's hurricane preparations are a year-round exercise."

That year-round preparation was instrumental in restoring service to impacted areas quickly following the 2004 hurricanes. In the wake of that historic hurricane season, some Sprint facilities have been replaced with newer, state-of-the art equipment, including upgraded power equipment, which will ultimately require less maintenance. Additionally, Sprint has doubled the supply of generators which supplement network systems during power outages.

Each year, Sprint prepares diligently for hurricane season, drawing from its many years of experience in dealing with the storms. Those preparations include:

-- Well before a hurricane makes landfall, Sprint monitors the storm

track, mobilizing personnel and equipment for deployment before and

after the storm hits. Later, Sprint emergency operations center

personnel coordinate recovery and service restoration efforts.

-- On-site generators provide back-up power at critical sites during power

outages, and additional generators are staged at strategic locations

for deployment as needed.

-- "Cells-on-Wheels" (mobile cell towers) and portable public phone banks

are mobilized once the storm has moved through affected areas and the

need for supplemental network service is determined.

-- In addition, Sprint has donated wireless phones to the American Red

Cross for use with disaster relief coordination efforts. Sprint also

donated 1,000 prepaid calling cards to ARC in 2004 to assist with those

coordination efforts.

Sprint urges customers to take appropriate steps to ensure they are prepared, as well. Customers can help ensure they get the best service by:

-- Have at least one simple, modular phone (non-cordless, not requiring

electricity) at home. Wireline home phone service typically should be

available for hours after commercial power has been disrupted, and

these phones will continue to operate as long as the local switch

operates on auxiliary or battery power.

-- Keep your wireless phone and backup batteries charged if a storm is

approaching, but be aware that an interruption of wireline service and

commercial power also could affect wireless calls.

-- If possible, get extra batteries, and charge them too. In times of

commercial power outages, a car adapter for your wireless phone should

enable you to recharge the battery.

-- Keep extra phones and accessories in a sealed plastic bag to avoid

water damage.

-- Load family and emergency numbers into your wireless phone and keep a

copy of the numbers in your sealed plastic bag. Make sure those who

need it have your wireless number.

-- Use a Sprint PCS Vision(SM) Picture Phone to take digital images of

your property and valuables before the storm hits. Upload the pictures

to http://www.sprintpcs.com/ and you have "before" pictures in the event

of any storm damage.

-- Stay informed!

-- Get the latest updates on Sprint PCS Vision Phones.

-- A Sprint PCS Vision Connection Card can keep you connected to critical

information via your laptop or hand-held personal digital assistant.

About Sprint

Sprint offers an extensive range of innovative communication products and solutions, including global IP, wireless, local and multiproduct bundles. A Fortune 100 company with more than $27 billion in annual revenues in 2004, 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; an award-winning Tier 1 Internet backbone; and one of the largest 100-percent digital, nationwide wireless networks in the United States. For more information, visit http://www.sprint.com/mr .

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

Sprint

CONTACT: Nanci Schwartz, Florida, +1-305-788-8256,nanci.p.schwartz@mail.sprint.com , Kristin Wallace, Atlanta, Birmingham, NewOrleans, +1-678-358-1190, kristin.c.wallace@mail.sprint.com , Liz Fruge,Panama City; Fort Walton Beach & Pensacola, Fla.; Mobile & Montgomery, Ala.;Houma, La., +1-337-794-9385, liz.fruge@usunwired.com , Terri White, Lafayette& Baton Rouge, La.; Biloxi, Gulfport & Pascagoula, Miss.; +1-225-266-4703,twhite@sprintpcsgcw.com Charles Fleckenstein, Kansas City, +1-913-226-4132,charles.m.fleckenstein@mail.sprint.com , all of Sprint

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

Source: PRNewswire

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