CENTRAL U.S. -- iPCS expansion in Michigan?

Since IPCS is still a seperate company from Sprint corporate I wouldn't think they would be using Nextel towers. Sprint probably doesn't have any such deal with them that would allow them to do that in the way the synergy sites have been done in corporate areas.

IPCS is not doing too bad and they have consistenly been expanding and making improvements to their network each and every quarter.

 

Well I'm sure that IPCS will look for the best available place in the search ring where they need better coverage. If it just happens to be a co-lo with Nextel than they'd go for that as well. Sprint welcomes co-lo's from anyone.

 

Sprint updated the coverage viewer the other day. Is that marker for a future site still there?

I don't recall ever seeing any markers for new or future towers in IPCS or any affiliate area before. I don't think Sprint has accurate info on those.

 

Then it's either a mistake or there's an existing CDMA site there already because if there was no site there you wouldn't see any blob of coverage showing. Sprint doesn't color green areas of coverage until they actually have a functioning site there.

 

I have run into IPCS techs and they have been building out alot of towers in my area. Sprint has mandated to IPCS that they are REV A compliant by (dont remember the date) they also are building alot of towers. I have seen about 3 new sites.

Heres a pic of one.

 

There is a Nextel tower about two miles from my house that iPCS added to about six months ago. Actually it is owned by American Towers but Nextel was the first provider on it. Dobson soon followed and then finally iPCS.

 

Well that's good to hear then. Maybe IPCS did form some deal with Sprint to utilize the Nextel towers for easy synergy sites.

 

iPCS, Inc. Announces Subscriber Activity for the Quarter Ended June 30, 2008

Schedules Earnings Release and Conference Call to Discuss Results

SCHAUMBURG, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 23, 2008--iPCS, Inc. (Nasdaq: IPCS), a Sprint PCS Affiliate of Sprint Nextel, today announced that it serves approximately 654,000 customers as of June 30, 2008.

For the quarter ended June 30, 2008, iPCS reported:

* Gross additions of approximately 61,800

* Net additions of approximately 13,400

* Average monthly churn, net of 30 day deactivations, of approximately 2.3%

* Ending subscribers of approximately 654,000

 

Interesting, I'll have to make a point to force my phone over to them next time I'm near there area where they were sketchy.

 

I wonder if its related to Sprint's sell off of towers, or if they had some provision that would allow iPCS in on Nextel's lease rates (which might be lower than current rates).

 

It would have nothing to do with Sprint's sell off of towers. That deal was just announced the other day and it only involves a small percentage of Sprint's towers. If IPCS is adding on to IDEN sites that has likely been in the planning stages for over a year or more.

 

That's probably likely. I just figured that sale was probably in the planning stages for quite some time too. I thought it may have been some overall larger plan to leverage their tower assets and leases. Probably just separate instances of cutting costs and making money though.

 

This is all quite exciting for Michigan. Good news, as I will be moving out there in less than a month.

 

Oh yeah? Where are you moving to?

 

Downtown Lansing at the end of the month. Starting at cooley law.

 

Ah, very cool. Good luck. Let me know if need anything I'm not close by but probably closer then most people you know lol. (Kalamazoo, MI)

I think lansing is a corporate market for sprint too. So that'll be good for you.

 

Correct, Lansing is Sprint Corporate. Anything to the east is iPCS though. Thanks for the welcome!

 

Yep, thats what I meant. Sorry