Manitoba Telecom signs wireless deal with Sprint

TORONTO, June 9 (Reuters) - Manitoba Telecom Services (MBT.TO) has signed a deal with Sprint Nextel (S.N) that will allow the Canadian company take advantage of the U.S. telecom giant's wireless handset lineup and vendor relationships.

Manitoba Telecom said on Tuesday the deal under Sprint's global alliance program will also give it access to information about Sprint's technology, product development and planning.

Financial terms were not disclosed.

At the end of March, Manitoba Telecom had about 438,000 wireless subscribers in its home province.

"We already feature Manitoba's widest wireless network, and our relationship with Sprint will help us bring more of the newest handsets and wireless devices to our customers and the Manitoba market," Kelvin Shepherd, president of the company's consumer markets division, said in a statement.

Manitoba Telecom shares were up 28 Canadian cents at C$35.22 on the Toronto Stock Exchange shortly after the announcement.

($1=$1.10 Canadian) (Reporting by Wojtek Dabrowski; editing by Frank McGurty)