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Sprint Network Jointly Awarded #1 Ranking in Call and Text Performance in Grand Rapids, Michigan
[August 27, 2014]

Sprint Network Jointly Awarded #1 Ranking in Call and Text Performance in Grand Rapids, Michigan


GRAND RAPIDS & ANN ARBOR, Mich. --(Business Wire)--

Sprint (News - Alert) today announced that its all-new network in Grand Rapids, Flint, Ann Arbor and Lansing, Michigan, shares first-place in RootScore® Awards for call performance according to a recent report by independent testing company RootMetrics®. Sprint also shares a first-place RootScore Award for text performance in Grand Rapids and Flint.

Last week Sprint also introduced new shared data plans that offer double the high-speed data at the same price as AT&T (News - Alert) and Verizon Wireless.

Mobile data usage has been skyrocketing as so many more consumers are using smartphones for navigation, watching videos, browsing the Internet and more. Mobile phone data usage on the Sprint network in Western Michigan grew almost 350% from 2011 to 2013. During that same time frame, Sprint invested almost $108 million to upgrade towers and replaced equipment at cell sites throughout the Western Michigan region so that residents can enjoy faster speeds and better call quality than before with 4G LTE (News - Alert) and high definition voice, contributing to a better overall customer experience.

"We're very proud to report that Sprint's all-new network offers outstanding call and text performance in several cities across Michigan," said Joe Meyer, vice president of Sprint Network Performance. "With our new data plans, there's never been a better time to switch to America's Newest Network."

Best Deal on Data

The Sprint Family Share Pack offers double the high-speed shareable data1 for smartphones, basic phones, tablets and mobile broadband devices. For example, customers can get four lines and 20GB of data for $160 compared to 10GB of data for the same price from AT&T or Verizon. Sprint is offering a limited-time promotion for the Sprint Family Share Pack: For a family with up to 10 lines, get 20GB of Shared Data and Unlimited Talk & Text for only $100 a month through 20152 - and, as an added bonus, customers will get an additional 2GB per line for up to 10 lines. For a family of four, that's a savings of $60 per month better than AT&T's and Verizon's current pricing through 2015; double the data of Verizon; and more than double the high-speed data of AT&T and T-Mobile (News - Alert).

Sprint also now offers the best unlimited wireless plan available from a national carrier with the Sprint $60 Unlimited Plan. This plan provides consumers unlimited talk, text and data while on America's Newest Network for just $60 per month, a $20 savings compared to T-Mobile's $80 per month unlimited plan. Simple, easy, affordable - the Sprint $60 Unlimited Plan is available to both new and existing Sprint customers. To qualify for the plan, customers must purchase their device through Sprint Easy Pay, pay full retail price or bring their own compatible device.



All-New Network

As part of a nationwide multi-year overhaul, Sprint has transformed its network in cities across Michigan to deliver faster data speeds than before and improved call quality. Network improvements include:


  • 4G LTE for faster, more reliable data delivering peak wireless speeds of 25Mbps.
  • HD Voice, a new Sprint standard for crystal-clear voice calls on enabled phones providing a fuller, more natural-sounding voice, plus noise reduction technology that virtually eliminates background noise from places like a busy road or crowded restaurant.
  • Stronger in-building coverage using 800MHz low frequency spectrum.

Looking ahead, Sprint will continue to invest in its Michigan network by implementing new technologies and techniques to make the network more efficient and deliver improved performance and faster data speeds. Sprint Spark, an enhanced LTE service that's built for data, will offer peak wireless speeds of 50-60Mbps on capable devices, with increasing speed potential over time.

RootMetrics, an independent mobile analytics firm that offers insights into the consumer mobile experience, tests the networks of all four major wireless carriers in the U.S. twice per year. The company provides objective, unbiased assessments of performance across a broad range of consumer-oriented mobile activities including data usage, calling, and texting.

Rankings based on RootMetrics Grand Rapids (June 2014), Flint (June 2014), Ann Arbor (April 2014) and Lansing (May 2014) RootScore® Reports for mobile performance as tested on best available plans and devices on four mobile networks across all available network types. The RootMetrics award is not an endorsement of Sprint. Your results may vary. See www.rootmetrics.com for details.

About Sprint:

Sprint (NYSE: S) is a communications services company that creates more and better ways to connect its customers to the things they care about most. Sprint served more than 54 million customers as of June 30, 2014 and is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying innovative technologies, including the first wireless 4G service from a national carrier in the United States; leading no-contract brands including Virgin Mobile (News - Alert) USA, Boost Mobile, and Assurance Wireless; instant national and international push-to-talk capabilities; and a global Tier 1 Internet backbone. The American Customer Satisfaction Index rated Sprint as the most improved U.S. company in customer satisfaction, across all 43 industries, over the last six years. Sprint has been named to the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) North America in 2011, 2012 and 2013. You can learn more and visit Sprint at www.sprint.com or www.facebook.com/sprint and www.twitter.com/sprint.

1 To improve the data experience for the majority of users, throughput speeds may be limited, varied or reduced on the network.

2The $100 offer is available Aug. 22, 2014 - Sept. 30, 2014 when customers switch to Sprint. It includes $15/mo./line access charges waived through 2015. Valid only on 20GB or higher data allowance.


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