Nextel/Sprint merger rumor

[Sean]

One of my friends has a buddy that works at Sprint, and he says that they are going to buy out Nextel. I have also heard some rumors that sprint is developing a 2 way like direct connect. Has anybody else heard anything about this? Any Sprint employees?

Peace
-Sean

[ComicalMoodyDan]

Sprint is not going to buy out Nextel. I don't believe that one for a second they wouldn't gain any additional coverage from aquiring Nextel and they would have to totally overhaul the entire network to make it compatible with their own. That would be VERY expensive and Sprint really doesn't have the money for that. However it is true that Sprint PCS is working on a push to talk feature similar to Nextel's direct connect service but I don't know when it will be avaible.

[Sean]

That's what I figured, it sounded like just another rumor.

Can't wait for that 2 way though. I have a feeling it will be a while.

[IdiOTeQnoLogY]

i agree. i dont think sprint can buy nextel anyways.

on a side note though nextel has said it will go the cdma1x upgrade route......just not yet though. they are increasing capacity by going with 4k vocoders for now. then when that gets to the end of its tether will move up to cdma2000.

[mcf04581]

I believe this is just another rumor, or at least the part about sprint buying out nextel. I do not believe that sprint is in the financial position to buy out nextel. I do believe though that sprint is putting together a two way system or PTT. I know that Verizon is supposed to have it by april of next year, so I figure that sprint will have it somewhere around the same time.

[Fobulous]

Doubt it would happen. I remember when Worldcom wanted buy out Nextel, now that was true but never materliazed....but like i said i really doubt Sprint is going to buy Nextel.

[thisisme]

Originally posted by: IdiOTeQnoLogY
i agree. i dont think sprint can buy nextel anyways.

on a side note though nextel has said it will go the cdma1x upgrade route......just not yet though. they are increasing capacity by going with 4k vocoders for now. then when that gets to the end of its tether will move up to cdma2000.

i thought nextel was some variation of TDMA, how can they go CDMA 1x?

[markv83]

I think Nextel could goto CDMA but I think it would be quite a pricey conversion. I know Nextel already owns the rights to the technology for push to talk on CDMA.
Mark

[IdiOTeQnoLogY]

Originally posted by: thisisme

i thought nextel was some variation of TDMA, how can they go CDMA 1x?

simple, they overlay their network with cdma. just like at&t is doing it with GSM etc etc etc

[thisisme]

ohh...im under the impression that, just like att, would cost nextel big dollars....

[IdiOTeQnoLogY]

that is correct as well.

[thisisme]

ok i have a question, nextel is on iDEN and thats a variation of TDMA, right? ok well they have direct connect for their system. and they have the rights to use that system and no one else does (except southern linc), right? my question is if they secured the rights to PTT for CDMA networks, how were they able to do that? did they have first bid on it? why didnt the CDMA companies try and secure it? please forgive my ignorance. i dont claim to know any of this but im more than willing to pay attention to learn it.

[IdiOTeQnoLogY]

it was a business decision by nextel for two reasons. one they locked out the other cdma carriers from using it for 3 years. 2nd from what i know nextel is most likely planning to go cdma eventually.

in the end the oter carriers just went with a system independent of q-chat........which was qualcomms version of DC on cdma1x networks.

also it doesnt really matter who has what technology; in this country it is money that talks everything else walks. although i do wonder because since sprint and verizon use CDMA they actually make qualcomm lots more money by using their technology and chipsets. such is business i suppose.

[roamer1]

The big problem with what Nextel has done, of course, is that implementing QChat is contingent on them going CDMA -- which for them will be extremely difficult. (The interleaved ESMR frequencies they use makes using CDMA impossible, unless they either get new spectrum or talk the FCC into reallocating the ESMR frequencies so all Nextel's are contiguous. Right now it appears Nextel is doing the latter, both for that reason and to address interference issues with public safety systems; of course, Southern Linc down here in the Southeast and the public safety users aren't very happy with Nextel right now...)

-SC

[roamer1]

ALSO...a mix of SPCS and Nextel seems downright bizarre, largely because of their very different customer bases.

SPCS -- low ARPU, high bad debt (thanks to ASL/Clear Pay, etc.)
Nextel -- (very) high ARPU, very low bad debt (high credit standards and a focus on biz customers means less bad debt and higher ARPU)

-SC

[JMONEYBL]

Umm Nextel is on IDEN

[JMONEYBL]

SPRINT WAS supposedly working on a merger with worldcom that fell through worldcom is thinking about a merger with nextel sprint is coming out with a push to talk feature.... at&t was/is working on some sort of nextel merger.... need to check into the details as of today and I will update you all some more

[WirelessBeachBum]

Sprint's PTT feature is going to be a VoIP solution, and it should be out some time this year...

[northform]

PTT most likely (99% sure) won't be compatable with current phones (either Verizon or Sprint).

[Yugopro]

I have been following this discussion and believe that perhaps Nextel would be a better fit for Vodaphone. Vodaphone has said it wants a Vodaphone branded service in the U.S. Nextel sells GSM phones for Europe, uses a SIM chip, and has European roaming agreements. Can anyone think of a better fit for Vodaphone?

[ShoresGuy]

Originally posted by: Yugopro
I have been following this discussion and believe that perhaps Nextel would be a better fit for Vodaphone. Vodaphone has said it wants a Vodaphone branded service in the U.S. Nextel sells GSM phones for Europe, uses a SIM chip, and has European roaming agreements. Can anyone think of a better fit for Vodaphone?

Yes it's quite possible that Vodafone will eventually rid itself of its stake in Verizon but Nextel has no GSM infrastructure in the US only in Europe through offering phones like the i2000 which operate on European GSM frequencies and not on the North American GSM frequencies. Secondly, if Vodafone is even planning a buy-out, take-over or a merger within the US, they would probably buy out either T-Mobile or AT&T's GSM infrastructure. Vodafone is a major player in the GSM market around most of the world and if they do anything to get a GSM footprint in the USA, it'll be through one of the weaker GSM providers who already have the GSM network infrastructure in place. Vodafone wouldn't gain anything by absorbing Nextel who uses a completely different network structure and then have to invest millions of dollars just to construct a new GSM network. That's very unlikely to happen.

[rayosx]

Well, who knows when, but I was on the Sanyo section and I just saw a similar thread like this one and my question it is to all of you who wants this service, why you would want the PPT or whatever called , instead of unlimited PCS to PCS ? it is better that all of the persons of friends, etc, use one provider and talk from pcs to pcs and do unlimited calls with a great qualtiy instead to use them like walkie talkie that is ridiculous , can someone explain me why some of you wants this service ? what is the worth to use that service ? unlimited calls for low rates?

[ZaphodB]

Originally posted by: northform
PTT most likely (99% sure) won't be compatable with current phones (either Verizon or Sprint).

Gee thanks, Captain Obvious! :-P

(Of COURSE they won't be compatible... PTT means PUSH to talk... Nextel handsets have the Direct Connect button that (wait for it) you PUSH when you want TO TALK to someone over Direct Connect. Now, what button would you use on the current phones on Verizon or Sprint?)

[SpeedRacr]

What it boils down to, is ease of use. When using the PTT or Direct Connect feature, you dont have to dial a number, wait for a connection, let it ring and wait for a pick up. You simply "bleep" someone and they in turn, talk back. Most people find it much simpler and useful than talking on a phone, especially with the ability to receive fast answers. Personally, I first used the technology at work, where I have 7 crews out at 7 different locations in the tri-state area... Its much easier to send alerts to them all and let them individually contact me during the day then it is to call each one.

Not to mention, its quite fun ^_^

[DiverDown]

Unless someone up there is smoking a crack pipe there is no way vodafone would get rid of its stake in verizon, mainly because its not a stake, they each own half of each other.

And nextel is made it quite clear that takeovers are not wanted, especially since there profit is huge, businessweek just gave nextel straight A's on all categories especially its returns to investors and earnings per share.

They seem confident that nextel will do fine in the future. I personally think that it is impossible for nextel to stand a chance in the marketplace when Verizon and Sprint release there PTT, I believe Verizon and Sprints ability to attract the private sector and have the added ability of PTT will attract the Business customers that NExtel has.

Even though nextel will have nation wide PTt. Because honestly if you think about it those companies that use nextel for solely PTT could care less that it now works nation wide because most of those customers use PTT in a much closer radius then California to michigan, more likely they use it from the 12th floor of a construction to the main office 30 miles away. And if nextel thinks they are going to attract more customers by assuming that familys would want to have ptt to talk to each other across the nation, then they must have forgotten that every other phone company offers mobile to mobile. I've had Verizon mobile to mobile for years and I talk to my DAd (i'm finishing school), mom (unfortunately), gf (very unfortunatley), and my roomates for free. I mean who wants to have a conversation for over 5 minutes on PTT.

I saw one of my roomates and his GF who went to different schools try to communicate 4 years ago when cell service was more expensive by using nextel PTT. After 5 minutes one would call the other and drain all of there cell minutes in the first week mind you they both had at least a 600 minute plan, eventually they switched to verizon and got mobile to mobile.

I fear for nextel in the future, i just don't see how they can compete when there only nitch is going to be taken away regardless of nation wide, though I am not a customer I hope the best for them, and have always been intrigued by nextels seperate platform of service even though all they use is an off shoot of tdma.

[t720]

Originally posted by: JMONEYBL
SPRINT WAS supposedly working on a merger with worldcom that fell through worldcom is thinking about a merger with nextel sprint is coming out with a push to talk feature.... at&t was/is working on some sort of nextel merger.... need to check into the details as of today and I will update you all some more

I am entirely lost. Why on Earth would AT&T want to merge with Nextel? I mean...I would understand if it was Sprint, but Sprint and AT&T are two different technologies! [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-confused.gif[/img]

[bobolito]

Nobody would wanna buy Nextel. That's like carrying an extra load. The spectrum they have is useless to any other carrier. If they used the standard 800Mhz frequencies, it would be a different story.