Nextel Expands Wireless Coverage in South Carolina

[TNDan21]

Nextel Expands Wireless Coverage in South Carolina
Wednesday June 15, 9:16 am ET

Nextel Responds to Needs of South Carolina Customers with 3,815 Square Miles of Enhanced Coverage for Digital Walkie-Talkie, Wireless Data and Wireless Phone Services


COLUMBIA, S.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 15, 2005--Nextel Communications Inc. (NASDAQ:NXTL - News) announced today significant enhancements to its fixed infrastructure and wireless service in South Carolina. Nextel customers now can take advantage of Nextel's cellular, Direct Connect® digital walkie-talkie and wireless data services, including text messaging, mobile email and the Wireless Web. Areas benefiting from Nextel's expansion include: Columbia, Charleston, Myrtle Beach, Greenville, Spartanburg, Florence, Orangeburg, Newberry, Sumter, Lexington and Camden.
"Nextel is very excited to expand our service offerings throughout South Carolina by adding over 3,800 square miles of enhanced coverage including along the I-26 and I-20 corridors," said Craven Shumaker, area vice president for Nextel Communications. "Wireless users are on the go and Nextel is continuously making network improvements to better serve our expanding base of customers. Nextel's Direct Connect, which is part of every phone we sell, provides a unique form of communication, an instant walkie-talkie service that works nationwide. Add in our standard cellular capabilities and wireless data services, and you have an extremely powerful communications tool."

Nextel has been offering wireless services in South Carolina for more than ten years, and has continued to expand its network within the state based on customer needs. Nextel sales offices are located in Greenville, Columbia, Charleston and Myrtle Beach. Further assisting Carolina customers are nine Nextel Retail Stores in the state.

Nextel Expands Wireless Coverage in South Carolina

[Etorres777]

I wonder, why do they keep expanding when they're technology is going away in a couple of years due to their planned merger with Sprint.

[agentHibby]

You also got to think that most of these tower were already in the process of approval and building before the Sprint Nextel merger was annouced.

When Sprint and Nextel will do with Towers they don't need in time
A dismantel the tower (to cherry pick or get rid of)
B sell them to another wireless provider Verizon, Cingular and others
C sell it to a tower rental company like American Tower

This also holds true with the towers that Verizon now has that they don't need with the qwest wireless deal.

[Chris L]

Also, Nextel still needs to service existing customers on iDEN who may need coverage in these areas... even with the merger, they're not going to be able to access non-iDEN coverage without new handsets.

[vger]

Even with the improvements, Nextel is still a sub-par provider in South Carolina. They rank lower than Sprint does in my opinion (and Sprint is pretty bad).

[Airb330]

Originally Posted by vger

Even with the improvements, Nextel is still a sub-par provider in South Carolina. They rank lower than Sprint does in my opinion (and Sprint is pretty bad).

Yeah really. Nextel seems to have like 3 towers in Myrtle Beach! Sprint's decent in Myrtle Beach, but indoor coverage is limited, and rural coverage is worthless (so is Alltel's...their roaming partner). Cingular just blows everyone away in Myrtle Beach...it works way out in the middle of no-where SC and NC around there.

[WirelessBeachBum]

Wirelessly posted (XV6600 and Blackberry 7250: BlackBerry7250/4.0.0 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1)

Get over to the other side of the South Carolina coast and Cingular doesn't blow oway the competition they just blow. There coverage is really poor in the Hilton Head area.

I looked at the nextel coverage maps online and I see allot of "future" coverage but it's not that clear as to what has been added.

[mike220]

Nextel has always been known for weakness in rural coverage this is no surprise. I have on occasion been surprised by Nextel coverage that I discovered which is not on their coverage maps, so I have learned don't count them out till you get there and look at the phone for yourself. This is in part the reason I carry a VZW phone also. Nextels coverage maps are small, lack detail, and Nextel overall should just be ashamed of the coverage information they make available to their customers. I follow Nextels coverage in the southeast very closely and about every 3 months they add more orange to the GA-AL map but almost NEVER change that orange to yellow. I find this practice unbelievably aggravating! VZW, Cingular, and T-Mobile all post very detailed coverage maps on their website and there is NO reason Nextel can't do a better job at making this information available to its customers.
Sorry I'm ranting again
Mike
Oxford GA

Originally Posted by WirelessBeachBum

Wirelessly posted (XV6600 and Blackberry 7250: BlackBerry7250/4.0.0 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1)

Get over to the other side of the South Carolina coast and Cingular doesn't blow oway the competition they just blow. There coverage is really poor in the Hilton Head area.

I looked at the nextel coverage maps online and I see allot of "future" coverage but it's not that clear as to what has been added.