Sprint won't let Nextel iDEN network chirp its last chirp, plans rejuvenation effort

We've seen some pretty wild on-again / off-again relationships in the scandalous world of gadget affairs, but this one has been swinging from one extreme to the other at breakneck pace. Let's recap: after proclaiming that it was absolutely committed to iDEN in February of 2008, rumors then started flying that Sprint was looking to offload the whole thing and move on with life. A month later, the carrier's CEO practically confirmed that an iDEN network sale was still an option. Now, the seemingly bipolar company has issued a press release reaffirming its adoration for the chirping-est network this side of Oz, stating that "after careful review of the iDEN business, Sprint intends to retain and rejuvenate this important asset." Which could be PR speak for "nobody wanted this thing, so what other option did we really have?" Regardless of the truth, it seems the push-to-talk network that just won't die will live to see another day, but as history has shown, all that could change in a split second (or at Sprint Speed, whichever you prefer).

[Via phonescoop]

[inteller @ Oct 31st 2008 8:36AM]

wait a minute....I thought they had to give their iden frequency allotments back to the gov as a merger condition?

Why won't this sh!tty network die?

[TheNewmanDynasty @ Oct 31st 2008 9:13AM]

Just let it go Sprint...focus on what's GOOD with the company and work to make WiMax/XOHM the next big thing.

And while you're at try to improve the speed of XOHM so it's comparable to LTE whenever that appears on the scene...

[strider_mt2k @ Oct 31st 2008 9:15AM]

Pull the plug.

[Flashpoint @ Oct 31st 2008 9:32AM]

When I first heard Sprint was merging with NEXTEL, I knew they were gonna kill that company.

Low and behold...they did.

I haven't heard the NEXTEL chirp in ages.

Now Sidekicks and iPhones rule the streets.

[UnixSystemsEngineer @ Oct 31st 2008 10:47AM]

True. But who doesn't have a fond memory of a coworker chirping in, voice booming over the speaker, to interrupt a moment with one's significant other?

[Xoyuji @ Oct 31st 2008 3:21PM]

Nope go to any highschool, college or anywhere you have people under about 23 you will hear a chrip sound

[vdogg89 @ Oct 31st 2008 10:32AM]

Nextel, I know its hard to hear this, but.. I'm seeing other carriers. sniff*

[Peter F @ Oct 31st 2008 4:12PM]

carriers with insulting stupid ads

[neodorian @ Oct 31st 2008 10:51AM]

Please let it die. That fucking chirp is the most obnoxious thing ever and has no advantage over speed dial and speakerphone. Sprint needs to focus on what it does well: cheap, fast data plans and decent smartphones. Hesse needs to take another look at Android because WM7 is taking forever and they are going to lose lots of market share to devices running Android as well as the iPhone. They also need to quit pushing the Instinct as their high end phone because they have the Diamond and Touch Pro which (despite calls of "ewww Winmo is teh ugly") are excellent smartphones with good screens, GPS, 3G, and tons of software.

[Rogers Starks @ Oct 31st 2008 4:47PM]

iDEN can't figure out what they want to do. It is pretty simple that this thing is going to go down very, very badly when it is all said and done!!

[Jim @ Oct 31st 2008 5:29PM]

Going to have to go the other way on this one.. I am glad they are "rejuvinating" the effort. Quite frankly, the CDMA based Direct Connect was TERRIBLE at best in this area. We had switched all of our hybrid phones(502, 602 and 902's) to various iterations of the Q-Chat phones and it was a failed experiment. After many phone calls and emails we got an answer that basically said the CDMA based data network(of which you MUST have REV.A coverage to get the 2way to function) just wasnt up to the task. He pointed out that the city of D.C. was out of service completely for several days after a switch and transfer failure occured due to network overload. Also, the fact that they have restarted production on two hybrid phones, as well as working on getting the iDen up to speed, would lead one to believe that they are serious about keeping iDen around. You'll find similar 2way complaints with the other carriers that are using EVDO based VOIP services... Just isnt working right now.. We have about 150 phones and I for one am glad that they are keeping it around. I need a new Crackberry and the 8350i that's coming next month should fit the bill just fine. Hooray for Nextel !

[Phoenix987 @ Nov 1st 2008 2:59PM]

Glad to see that my NEXTEL connection won't die....yet.

Sure, the chirp might be annoying- when you aren't the one causing it. So many people no longer have NEXTEL on their phones that they forget they were once the person who annoyed people in the middle of the store.

[StonerAdmin @ Nov 2nd 2008 6:40PM]

I have been managing our Sprint/Nextel fleet hre since late '01. We have like 70 ofthese things and S/N just upgraded our fleet to their new line of VOIP-chirpers. They seem to still be cutting the chord with the iDen frequency per-se since the "Direct-Connect" now takes place through the handsets' data connection to Sprint. No more dev on "hybrid" or two-transmitter phoes that still utilized the iDen bands. So this whole thing seems misleading, or at least simply fluff. They actually sent me 44 free handsets to replace older iden units we were using forever. As I had to take care of all the "swaps" I learned a few things about why all this was happening. The voip based direct connect is fast and available in more places now beacause of the no more iden thing. All communication is through the Sprint network which, around here anyway is pretty good nd way better than the old Nextel iDen network, as far as coverage goes.

[BJatSprint @ Nov 3rd 2008 11:34AM]

My name is BJ DeHut and I am a representative for Sprint, and wanted to offer some thoughts on the comments about our recent announcement. Although we have had customer support problems in the past and still have a ways to go, we have made customer service the number one focus since our new CEO arrived. Just this month Pali Research reported that we went from last to first in their survey of customer call answer time. Also, there has been a lot of talk about the quality of the iDEN network -- last year we invested a significant amount of money in it, and it's operating at its best-ever metrics for dropped and blocked calls and other measures of operation. No other carrier can offer the speed and scope of push-to-talk service we can, and we know there’s a strong market for this service versus texting or other types of communications – you can’t text in the middle of an emergency rescue or a construction job.
Bottom line -- we looked hard at what to do with the iDEN network, and decided that it's valuable to us, it's valuable to our customers, and our best option is to keep it and enhance it further.

[rocketTech @ Nov 3rd 2008 11:17AM]

Wouldn't it have been smarter to decide to keep iDen before shopping it around? Is iDen a fad for Sprint, or is it a genuine commitment? How is Sprint's commitment to CDMA in a GSM/HSDPA world gong to affect users in the future?
Sure, you brought your customer service numbers up, but how long can Sprint afford that while buying exclusivity for new phones, revamping 20-year old iDen technology, and competing with LTE? Sprint is just prettying themselves up for a merger with Verizon or Telus.

[rah @ Nov 7th 2008 1:58AM]

Iden is like a fart in a mans stomach which can go out anytime.Sprint will sell this network any time if they can get any reasonable offer. Who ever buy Nextel will have to face enormous challenges. Data speed is ridiculously slow. The hardware is 20 years old and lacking innovation.The Blackberry 8350 will be useless for data. Its like having a full high definition TV with 480p signals. Nextel should do something right now before they are out of business. Temporary they should start putting two transmitter for CDMA just for data. The voice calls should be place on IDEN network but data services should use CDMA evo. It will still cost them a lot to change the whole software but it will give IDEN a spark. Texting,chirping,Internet will make this network survive. And try to get business from younger people by giving cheap DATA service plans.

[dlarson @ Jan 19th 2009 10:14PM]

I am glad they are keeping it. I am with the Red Cross. In the old days (with permission) you could pick up a used VHF/UHF fireband radio for around $200 and be on the air. Now with EVERY public safety agency going to P-25 Digital Radio, the same radio goes for $3K-$5K (Motorola XTS5000)! Nextel is the only product we can use for interoperability without spending 10's of thousands to issue PS radios to necessary responders. It is the ideal SECONDARY public safety interoperability network. Is it the latest and greatest for data and cell calls? NO, but it has it's niche. I think Sprint shoud focus on dispatch customers and government contracts as the "bread and butter" customer base. It is also the most secure network next to Motient Data.