Sprint and Google to Collaborate on WiMAX Mobile Internet Services
Written by Sprint
Thursday, 26 July 2007
RESTON, Va. 07/26/2007 Mobile broadband pioneer Sprint (NYSE: S)
announced it is working with Google Inc. to bring WiMAX mobile Internet
customers search, interactive communications and social networking
tools though a new mobile portal.
The collaboration between Sprint and Google will help spur new mobility
and location-assisted services as Sprint untethers Internet access for
consumers, businesses and government customers.
Sprint is developing a nationwide advanced wireless broadband network
that is being designed to mobilize the Internet, bring wireless
innovation to devices and deliver new mobile multimedia applications to
customers. The pact with Google is a milestone in Sprint's mobile
Internet strategy, and it builds upon current WiMAX ecosystem
infrastructure and device agreements to establish an Internet
destination for user-generated content and multimedia offerings.
"Google and Sprint will optimize the Internet experience for the
digital lifestyle," said Barry West, president, 4G Mobile Broadband for
Sprint. "This collaboration brings what will be the best mobile
Internet network together with the leading Internet search company. It
allows us to capitalize on the powerful mobility and Internet trends,
and create wireless services and applications that take advantage of
each company's history of product development innovation."
Sprint network bandwidth, location detection and presence capabilities
will be matched with Google's popular communications suite - Google
Apps - that combines the Gmail, Google Calendar and Google Talk
services. Customers will be able to experience a new form of
interactive communications, high speed Internet browsing, local and
location-centric services, and multimedia services including music,
video, TV and on-demand products.
"Google shares Sprint's vision for enhancing the consumer's mobile
lifestyle and is focused on greater access to information through a
variety of channels," said Dave Girouard, vice president and general
manager Google Enterprise. "We look forward to working with Sprint to
bring to market a rich and compelling broadband experience for WiMAX
customers."
Sprint will provide open standard APIs (application programming
interfaces) to Sprint's go-to-market partners and the Internet
developer community to create customized products for browsable
devices, facilitating the delivery of personalized and interactive
services to consumer, business, public safety and government customers.
These services will be available in a variety of WiMAX embedded
devices, including connection cards, stand-alone modems, laptop
computers and consumer electronic devices such as personal media
players, mobile Internet devices, gaming devices and phones.
Eventually, the WiMAX service will be available in vehicles for
navigation information, news and entertainment.
Sprint is working with WiMAX ecosystem partners and others to
incorporate WiMAX technology in a range of computing, portable
multi-media, interactive and other consumer electronic devices. The
company plans WiMAX test service in the Chicago, Baltimore and
Washington DC areas by year-end 2007. Commercial service is expected to
be available in a number of markets starting April 2008 and cover 100
million people by year-end 2008 in conjunction with a planned
partnership with Clearwire.
These efforts are expected to allow Sprint customers to experience a
nationwide mobile broadband network that is designed to offer faster
speeds, lower cost, greater convenience and enhanced multimedia
quality. The Sprint WiMAX mobile broadband network will use the
company's extensive 2.5GHz spectrum holdings.
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 robust wireless networks serving 53.6 million customers
at the end of the first quarter 2007; industry-leading mobile data
services; instant national and international walkie-talkie
capabilities; and a global Tier 1 Internet backbone. For more
information, visit www.sprint.com.
About Google Inc.
Google's innovative search technologies connect millions of people
around the world with information every day. Founded in 1998 by
Stanford Ph.D. students Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Google today is a
top web property in all major global markets. Google's targeted
advertising program provides businesses of all sizes with measurable
results, while enhancing the overall web experience for users. Google
is headquartered in Silicon Valley with offices throughout the
Americas, Europe and Asia. For more information, visit www.google.com.
Google, Gmail, Google Apps, Google Calendar and Google Talk are
trademarks of Google Inc. All other company and product names may be
trademarks of the respective companies with which they are associated.
SAFE HARBOR
This article includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning
of the securities laws. The statements in this article regarding our
collaboration with Google and the benefits of the arrangement; plans
for the development and deployment of a broadband network based on
WiMAX technology; the timing, availability, capabilities and coverage
of the WiMAX network; products and services to be offered on the WiMAX
network; and other statements that are not historical facts are
forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are projections
reflecting management's judgment and assumptions based on currently
available information and involve a number of risks and uncertainties
that could cause actual results to differ materially from those
suggested by the forward-looking statements.
Future performance cannot be assured. Actual results may differ
materially from those in the forward-looking statements due to a
variety of factors, including the uncertainties related to the
implementation of the company's WiMAX business strategy and risks
referenced from time to time in Sprint Nextel's filings with the
Securities and Exchange Commission, including in its Form 10-K for the
year ended December 31, 2006, in Part I, Item 1A, "Risk Factors."
Sprint Nextel believes the forward-looking statements in this article
are reasonable; however, you should not place undue reliance on
forward-looking statements, which are based on current expectations and
speak only as of the date of this release. Sprint Nextel is not
obligated to publicly release any revisions to forward-looking
statements to reflect events after the date of this article.
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