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Truckstop.net and Sprint Sign Multimillion-Dollar Data Deal to Help Bring Wi-Fi to Truck Stops and Travel Plazas Nationwide

Posted on: Thursday, 6 November 2003, 06:00 CST

OVERLAND PARK, Kan., Nov. 6 /PRNewswire/ -- Sprint and Truckstop.net announced today a new agreement that will help bring high-speed wireless capabilities and Internet access points to truck stops and travel plazas across the United States. The new, multimillion-dollar agreement includes both network services and expected hardware purchases. Truckstop.net plans to work with Sprint to make use of the popular 802.11 wireless technology (commonly referred to as "Wi-Fi") to deliver high-speed Internet access at up to 3,000 truck stops across the nation over the term of the agreement.

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

The agreement also includes other Internet Protocol (IP) services that may ultimately connect people from as many as 11,000 sites, via various Truckstop.net roaming agreements. Truckstop.net intends to bring the service to about 300 new locations every quarter. Truck stop operators can add these services to their locations at no cost, allowing them to provide more services to their customers including recreational and business travelers and truck drivers. Already, Truckstop.net and Sprint have connected about 25 of those sites through the new agreement as part of a preliminary rollout and new sites are being added almost daily.

Lubbock, Texas-headquartered Rip Griffin Truck and Travel Centers is among the first to offer Wi-Fi through Truckstop.net and Sprint at its 17 truck stop locations in the western and southwestern states.

"There are more than 4.5 million truckers on the road in North America and 25 percent have laptops," said Mark Griffin, president, Rip Griffin Truck and Travel Centers. "It's an old industry, but it is ready for a new idea. With Wi-Fi access through Sprint and Truckstop.net, Rip Griffin can give its customers something different -- a chance to connect home, to communicate with their base of operations, and to better run their business by managing information, directing their routes and picking up new loads on the fly. We expect that once a trucker or a trucking company tries this new service, they will keep coming back again and again."

Sprint enables Truckstop.net to power the nationwide Wi-Fi hot-spot network, delivering the reliability required for wireline access to the Internet.

"Powered by Sprint, the Truckstop.net service offers a long menu of benefits to truckers and truck stops," said Scott Moscrip, chief executive officer, Truckstop.net. "Truck stops are looking for ways to keep customers coming back. Truck operators are looking at how they can better manage routes and solve the costly 'backhaul' issue in trucking, where trucks have to travel empty or with a light load in order to get to a new destination. Truckers themselves are looking to stay connected to their families. Our new service addresses all of these needs quickly, easily and inexpensively."

To access a connection, the user will need a laptop computer and a wireless network card or a Wi-Fi enabled personal digital assistant. Truckers will be able to simply turn on their laptops and connect to all of the information they need to stay in touch while on the road and manage their routes and loads more efficiently. Future plans will include offering hardware such as laptops, personal computers and wireless network cards to travelers who need equipment. The new Wi-Fi services will be available through individual hourly or daily passes or through a monthly subscription.

According to Mark Bowser, senior vice president, Sprint Business Solutions, "Flexible, fast, accessible communications -- both wireline and wireless -- are essential to the future of the transportation industry. Although many others have just talked about rolling out similar products, Sprint and Truckstop.net are actually executing this offering. This agreement combines Sprint's unique suite of wireless and wireline capabilities with Truckstop.net's eight years of experience at building an online community for truckers and the transportation industry to meet a growing demand in the marketplace."

Additional information on this agreement, including a local roll-out map, a video news release and other details can be found at http://www.sprint.com/truckstop .

Sprint also has other initiatives in place to deploy Wi-Fi solutions for large enterprises, universities and hybrid high-traffic venues. Sprint has recently announced its PCS Wi-Fi Access initiative, a public hot-spot service including airports, hotels and convention centers. Businesses can find more information on Wi-Fi and other mobile computing solutions at http://www.sprintbiz.com/solutions/mobile .

About Truckstop.net

Truckstop.net is a Service Provider specializing in wireless Internet connectivity and networking solutions allowing subscribers to increase their access and availability to the Internet using wireless fidelity technologies; commonly known as Wi-Fi. Truckstop.net provides service through a wide-range of universal wireless Internet access points ("hot-spots") using at a flat-fee payment model for unlimited access; with optional products for time-specific access. With truck stop and travel plaza participants, Truckstop.net accessibility will not be limited by brand identity, chain or region. Truckstop.net's service offering will be international and expand from coast to coast to coast in both the United States and Canada. For more information, visit http://www.truckstop.net/ .

About Sprint

Sprint is a global integrated communications provider serving more than 26 million customers in over 100 countries. With approximately 70,000 employees worldwide and nearly $27 billion in annual revenues, 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/ .