Sprint Selected for Ohio Relay Service Contract

Business Wire, July 11, 1997

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 11, 1997--Sprint announced Friday that it has been selected by the Ohio Public Utilities Commission for final negotiations to provide state-of-the-art Telecommunications Relay Services (TRS) for Ohio's deaf, hard-of-hearing, deaf-blind and speech disabled consumers.

Sprint was chosen over three other bidders for a five-year contract -- valued at about $49 million -- and will negotiate a final contract with the commission staff.

Sprint's proposal calls for the company to open an advanced telecommunications relay center in the state. The center, which will provide around-the-clock communications service, is expected to employ as many as 200 people in full-time and part-time positions after service begins in January 1998. The exact location of the center in Ohio is among the items still under discussion.

Sprint's highly trained TRS relay operators serve as professional intermediaries, relaying phone conversations back and forth between standard voice telephone users and text telephone users. The operator speaks words typed by a text telephone user, and relays the hearing person's spoken response by typing words which are read by a text telephone user.

Sprint has been heralded repeatedly by customers and public officials nationwide for the high quality of its service and its commitment and sensitivity to the needs of deaf and hard-of-hearing persons. Ohio will be the 21st state in which Sprint provides relay service.

"Over the years, we've found that the quality relay service means a better quality of life for deaf, hard-of-hearing and speech disabled persons," said Don Teague, vice president and General Manager of Sprint's Government Systems Division, in Herndon, Va. "We are committed to maintaining our high standards for Ohio citizens while offering a very reasonable price."

Ohio residents will have access to a variety of advanced Sprint relay features. These include a customer database that allows users to program calling preferences such as long distance carrier, billing method, frequently dialed numbers and the ability to easily redial the last number called.

Sprint is the national leader in providing telecommunications relay services, now offering TRS services for 18 states and for the federal government. The states of New York and California will be added to Sprint service later this summer, before Ohio service begins.

Sprint has processed TRS calls for more than six years, and in 1996 alone processed more than 14.3 million calls totaling more than 65.8 million conversation minutes. Service reliability has averaged 99.9 percent since 1990, and Sprint operates a maintenance control center around the clock.

Sprint also provides operator text telephone services nationwide, providing access for text telephone users for virtually all operator services, including collect calls, directory assistance and others.

Sprint is a global communications company -- at the forefront in integrating long distance, local and wireless communications services, and the world's largest carrier of Internet traffic.

Sprint built and operates the United States' only all-digital, fiber-optic network and is the leader in advanced data communications services. Sprint has $14 billion in annual revenues and serves more than 16 million business and residential customers.

CONTACT: Sprint

James Fisher, (O) 202/828-7406 or (O) 703/904-2428

E-Mail: james.w.fisher@mail.sprint.com

www.sprint.com