Sprint Continues Restoration Efforts Following Gustav

Sprint Customers Able to Stay Connected During Storm
NEW ORLEANS--(Business Wire)--
Sprint (NYSE:S) announced today that its networks performed well
during Hurricane Gustav and continue to be operational as Sprint
technicians work to restore service in the impacted areas by moving in
portable generators and Cell Sites on Wheels (COWS) to ensure
customers have wireless service.

In addition, many Sprint customers report that their wireless
voice and data service remained operational both during and following
the storm. Sprint has a partnership with hurricane tracker, Mark
Sudduth. Sudduth uses Sprint Mobile Broadband Cards to relay data and
live video to his website during hurricanes. "The network performed
flawlessly, and I was able to complete my mission of providing
important weather data to consumers and news organizations," said
Sudduth.

Sprint's Emergency Response Team (ERT) received dozens of requests
from first responders, local government and businesses in the impacted
area. Sprint ERT personnel are supporting agencies with additional
Nextel Direct Connect(R) Handsets with Direct Connect and Direct
Talk(sm) capability. Direct Talk(sm) enabled handsets can communicate
off-network via push-to-talk with other Direct Talk(sm)-capable
handsets over short ranges, completely independent of any wireless
network.

"The Sprint ERT has a dedicated staff of 16 full-time employees
that are always prepared to assist with disaster relief and recovery
efforts, whether it was Hurricane Katrina, the Virginia Tech incident
or more recently the San Diego wildfires," says Tanya Lin, operations
manager for Sprint ERT. "What we offer is unique and after staging in
Pensacola, Texas and Baton Rouge for nine days and providing more than
1,000 phones to more than 50 customers, we are now moving towards
Florida and the Carolinas to help with the forthcoming storms in that
region."

Another critical resource Sprint provides public sector and first
responder teams is the Sprint ERT's Go-Kit(TM). These kits provide
business and first responders immediate access to mobile
communications tools for emergencies, including fully-charged cell
phones and wireless Broadband cards. These devices have a dedicated
hotline for instant activation as needed.

Sprint business customer Winn-Dixie secured Go-Kits from Sprint.
"The Sprint Go-Kits provided us with instant communication," said Joey
Medina, regional vice president of Winn-Dixie Stores Inc. "The Nextel
devices were vital to us as we worked to reopen our stores in the
impacted markets. We were able to instantly communicate with each
other and our vendors to assess damage and get our stores back up and
running to serve our customers."

With Tropical Storm Hanna and Hurricane Ike pending, Sprint is
prepared for potential impacts in North Carolina and Florida. Sprint
personnel and resources are being positioned in strategic locations in
the southeast and will be ready to move into the impacted markets.
During the past two years, Sprint has implemented even more robust
strategic preparations, including its own private weather forecast
company, additional portable generators, cell sites on wheels and
satellite cell trucks. During the first-half of 2007, Sprint spent $59
million in the southeast for hurricane preparedness.

For more information about Sprint Nextel hurricane preparation
efforts, or to learn what you can do to prepare for a major storm,
visit: www.sprint.com/hurricaneinformation.

Broadcast editors: Broadcast quality video is available of how
Nextel Direct Connect calls are routed through the Sprint network,
what happens to a wireless network during a mass calling event and the
importance of the ERT for emergency communications.

http://vnr.vccmedia.com

user: vnr

pw: download

ABOUT SPRINT NEXTEL

Sprint Nextel offers a comprehensive range of wireless and
wireline communications services bringing the freedom of mobility to
consumers, businesses and government users. Sprint Nextel is widely
recognized for developing, engineering and deploying innovative
technologies, including two wireless networks serving nearly 52
million customers at the end of the second quarter 2008;
industry-leading mobile data services; instant national and
international push-to-talk capabilities; and a global Tier 1 Internet
backbone. For more information, visit www.sprint.com.

Sprint
Kristin Wallace, 678-358-1190
kristin.c.wallace@sprint.com
or
Crystal Davis, 571-288-6806
crystal.davis@sprint.com

Copyright Business Wire 2008