Sprint Nextel Poised to Respond to Hurricane Katrina Recovery Effort

Business Wire, August 29, 2005

RESTON, Va. -- Sprint Nextel (NYSE:S) today said it is poised and ready to move into Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and the surrounding Gulf Coast areas hit by Hurricane Katrina to begin restoration of communication services once it is safe for engineers and technicians to do so.

"Sprint Nextel has been serving areas in the South for many years, and we recognize the devastation caused by these storms," said Sal Todaro, Sprint Nextel area vice president of the Southeast including Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. "The safety of our employees is paramount, but we want to assure our neighbors that we will move in to restore service as quickly as we can once it is deemed safe."

As part of its hurricane preparedness process and long before the storm hit, Sprint Nextel had staged backup generators and personnel in strategic locations to deal with the storm's aftermath.

"Loss of power to our own facilities and to the local phone companies we connect with is a major issue when restoration efforts are under way," Todaro noted. "While many of our wireless sites have backup generators, those on battery power will have to be recharged from time to time. We ask that our customers remain patient in this difficult time and rest assured we are working as quickly and safely as possible to restore the great Sprint Nextel service to which they are accustomed."

Network Services

Like other wireless networks, some cell sites are currently out of operation due mainly to power outages that have affected the areas hit by Katrina. Sprint Nextel's long-distance and local telephone services in the storm path also are being adversely affected due to the severity of the storm. Customers may have difficulty placing calls to those areas impacted by the storm.

Once state and local officials give their approval, Sprint Nextel crews will enter the area and begin efforts to restore service including recharging batteries and topping off generators with fuel.

Community Relations Outreach

Sprint Nextel stores will open once it is safe. Customers without service will be able to stop by those stores to place essential wireless calls. In addition, the company will be setting up Community Support Tents, providing food, water, ice, replacement batteries and service and repair assistance to the general public in affected areas.

Sprint Nextel also has committed to support the American Red Cross in its hurricane relief efforts by providing financial support and wireless phones and service to enable critical communication.

Government Support

Sprint Nextel representatives are working closely with federal agencies and State Emergency Operations Centers in Louisiana and Mississippi to determine priority services that require restoration so necessary emergency personnel can effectively communicate. By working directly with these organizations, the restoration effort will be dramatically improved.

Sprint Nextel's Emergency Response Team (ERT) also is available nationally 24/7 and provides communications capabilities and technical expertise to city, state and federal emergency workers, as well as utilities and other necessary infrastructure organizations. Public Safety officials interested in requesting ERT assistance should call the Nextel Public Safety Call Center at (888) 639-0020 or 1-254-295-2220 for GETS users. Operators are available 24/7.

About Sprint Nextel

Sprint Nextel offers a comprehensive range of wireless and wireline communications services to consumer, business and government customers. Sprint Nextel is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying innovative technologies, including two robust wireless networks offering industry leading mobile data services; instant national and international push-to-talk capabilities; and an award-winning and global Tier 1 Internet backbone. For more information, visit www.sprint.com.