grydlok
join:2004-01-06
Richmond, VA |  ?
Well at least they won't have to pay for upkeep. |
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Zen6
@rr.com | service
If they had better service/coverage they would not have lost so many subs. |
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BPLSUCKS
join:2006-04-26
Grand Ledge, MI
|  Good going
Exec 1:"Hey guys! I got a great idea! Let's sell our cell towers for 670million!"
Exec 2:"But what will we do about cell service to the few one customer we have left?"
Exec 1:"Don't worry we will lease them back and end up paying more in the long run than if we kept them ourselves!" |
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trparky
Bite My Shiny Metal Ass
Premium,MVM
join:2000-05-24
Cleveland, OH
clubs: | It's the beginning of the end for Sprint.
--
Tom |
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NewMariner
join:2005-06-24
| Whats the point?
When one owes 24 BILLION dollars, whats the point of selling towers for 670 MILLION dollars? It wont pay off the debt, it wont even cut it in half. Then they have to turn around and spend money on monthly leasing fees, although this may be cheaper then upkeep.
Whos driving this boat? |
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FLengineer
Premium
join:2007-06-26
Leesburg, FL | reply to BPLSUCKS
Re: Good going
Exec 2: "Cool, now leave me alone I just installed UT4, wait I meant I have a conference call coming in." |
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BK
join:2001-09-10
Wheaton, IL | reply to grydlok
Re: ?
now who pays for the upgrading up the towers to WiMAX ? |
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jc100
join:2002-04-10
| reply to Zen6
Re: service
Hey,
For all the BAD things about sprint.. Customer Service... Capping their EVDO..... Poor Billing..... Their Service was the high note. I've rarely if ever had trouble with their network. The fact that I get free roaming also is a plus. It's just their customer support side needs a revamp. Maybe they wouldn't have such a debt if they would get their ducks in a row. This coming from a 10 year sprint customer. |
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tmc8080
join:2004-04-24
Floral Park, NY
| prelude...
12-18 months later; sprint exits the cellular business.. notice I said cellular.. not wireless, because they've already bet the company on wireless however they've failed in cellular. Selling towers only goes to further prove the point.
One can only imagine that the remaining customers will go to At&t, Verizon and T-Mobile or smaller regional carriers. |
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Cheese
Premium
join:2003-10-26
Naples, FL
clubs: | Great....
I think it will be time to jump ship soon! |
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xenophon
join:2007-09-17 | Sprint has the most towers
Sprint has 65K towers compared to about 50-55K for ATT and 30K or so for Verizon. |
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Agent_haito
join:2002-09-20
Winston Salem, NC
|  24 Bill?
Wow all this debt from Nextel? 
They will need to sale $670million of assets at least 35 times over to offset the debt |
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FicmanS
Premium
join:2005-01-11
Brownsburg, IN
clubs: | reply to trparky
Re: Good going
Yes this does not sound good at all... |
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Mr Fingers
@dslextreme.com
 from:
TKJunkMail 
iBLoStBoY
| Towers
Sprint was the only cell co. that owns most of their tower sites. All the telcos either own or lease their tower sites from Tower Co. or American Tower Corp. who buy, erect and maintain most of the communications towers in the USA.
Sprint isin't going anywhere, it may merge with SK Telecom in the future but it still generates huge amounts of income and has 50 million customers.
As for Wimax, one single tower and antenna can cover hundreds of square miles so a lot of towers isin't necessary for coverage.
Don't diss these guys, a new CEO and management and the customer service is getting better, they never had a problem with coverage. Now ATT on the other hand..... |
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Jim_in_VA
join:2004-07-11
Cobbs Creek, VA
 ·Verizon Wireless B..
·Sprint Mobile Broa..
·Millenicom
| Sprint towers
keep in mind what they OWN vs. what they are co-located on are two different things. Example: Sprint is on 5 towers in my little county... but SBA owns them all. I have great coverage.
--
»evdo-tips.com/ |
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xenophon
join:2007-09-17
·Sprint Mobile Broa..
| reply to Mr Fingers
Re: Towers
Yeah, Sprint will pull through eventually. They may be merged with someone else but even if they go it alone, they'll pull through. They may become a slightly smaller company (45m customers?) but they seem to be on a path of finally moving slowly forward instead of backward. I'd think the defections will end by end of the year to early next and then maybe some growth will return.
When they fix customer support, they need to cause a price war and offer unlimited everything for $80/month. |
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TKJunkMail
Enjoy the sun
Premium
join:2002-03-03
Avalon, NJ
·Sprint Mobile Broa..
 ·Comcast
| reply to BPLSUCKS
Re: Good going
said by BPLSUCKS :Exec 1:"Don't worry we will lease them back and end up paying more in the long run than if we kept them ourselves!" There are tax advantages leasing versus owning. State & local taxes can be eliminated and federal taxes can be reduced as leases are operational expenses that reduce taxable income.
--
My BLOG .. .. Internet News .. .. My Web Page
Ask yourself one question: 'Do I feel lucky?' Well, do ya punk? |
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jjeffeorynotanon
@tds.net
| said by TKJunkMail :said by BPLSUCKS :Exec 1:"Don't worry we will lease them back and end up paying more in the long run than if we kept them ourselves!" There are tax advantages leasing versus owning. State & local taxes can be eliminated and federal taxes can be reduced as leases are operational expenses that reduce taxable income. Exactly! One thing we both agree upon. |
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kapil
The Kapil
join:2000-04-26
Chicago, IL
1 edit | The Truth
Most wireless carriers already lease, not own, the towers the hang their equipment on.
The difference is that Sprint was the first company to build out a nationwide PCS network and back then it decided to build its own tower network because leasing wasn't always an option where it needed towers.
There is actually a Sprint subsidiary that leases out space on Sprint towers to other interested parties.
So, this is more about shedding a business that is not a core competency so that it can better focus on its core business than it is about getting rid of assets to raise cash...although cash from the sale is a welcome benefit.
Sprint has always been very good as an engineering company...always first to market with new technology and always very good at making that new technology work. PCS, 1x, EVDO, REV A, ION, Sprint Wireless Broadband, and now WiMax...Sprint is on the cutting edge and should really get a lot more credit for getting things right than it does.
Sprint's downfall has been poor management on the business end. A management team that ran the company by looking at spreadsheets, putting customer service last, a poorly executed merger with Nextel, allowing credit challenged customers to become a sizable chunk of its customer base...the list goes on.
But that doesn't change the fact that Sprint's core network is one of the best, if not the best.
The new CEO and management are making a lot of right moves. Simplifying rate plans so they generate fewer calls to customer service, placing emphasis on customer service, expanding service options and handsets that customers actually want.
negative customer perception is a tough boat to turn around...any fool could tell you that.
I sincerely hope that Dan Hesse and company can do it for Sprint before it's too late. A marketplace without Sprint is certainly going to be bad for consumers...with only ATT, VZ and TMO left as major nationwide carriers.
--
»www.DumbLogic.com |
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Jack_in_VA
Premium
join:2007-11-26
Mathews, VA
| reply to Jim_in_VA
Re: Sprint towers
said by Jim_in_VA :keep in mind what they OWN vs. what they are co-located on are two different things. Example: Sprint is on 5 towers in my little county... but SBA owns them all. I have great coverage. I agree Jim. We have great coverage with our Non-Sprint owned towers.
This is just another attempt to trash Sprint and start some unfounded hysteria. It doesn't matter who owns the tower. |
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