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Sprint to Kill iDEN Network June 2013, Stop iDEN Phone Sales

May 29, 2012, 10:32 AM by Eric M. Zeman
updated May 29, 2012, 10:42 AM

Sprint today said that it is preparing to stop offering cellular service on its iDEN network as soon as June 30, 2013. In an update the company provided today on its Network Vision project, Sprint said it plans to shut down its iDEN network by next summer at the earliest. It has been in the process of deactivating iDEN cell towers since early this year. Between now and June, 2013, Sprint will notify its business and government customers regarding the iDEN network shutdown and the options that are available to them. Sprint already offers a CDMA-based, iDEN-replacement push-to-talk service called DirectConnect. A number of phones are already available that offer this service. Sprint will send reminder notices to iDEN customers on a regular basis during the next year ahead of the iDEN network shut down. Sprint said that it has already discontinued selling iDEN devices in some channels and will discontinue selling all iDEN devices through all channels and brands carrying iDEN Nextel products over the next several months. Sprint said it will continue to support customers with iDEN devices during the network transition and their switch from iDEN to CDMA-based services.

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Comments

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This forum is closed.

Jarahawk

May 29, 2012, 10:44 PM

Sounds like...

...analog or TDMA all over again. Unbelievable! Somewhere out there someone is still using Betamax. Hmmm...I wonder if that Atari 7800 still works.

cellphonesaretools

Jarahawk said:
...analog or TDMA all over again. Unbelievable! Somewhere out there someone is still using Betamax. Hmmm...I wonder if that Atari 7800 still works.

You're being a little ridiculous, in that your ch...
(continues)

crood

May 29, 2012, 10:37 AM

Shouldn't they have stopped selling them already?

So someone buys a device in the next few months and then has to get something else in a year?

mxmarcus

I am sure they need to eliminate the current stock of IDEN phones. You know that a lot of people wants free phones

🙂

JBlaze74

Sprint has been slowing down IDEN sales for the last several month, and IDEN customers have been notified over the last several months. IDEN customers have also been offered early upgrade to transition from IDEN to CDMA. I understand the article mak...
(continues)

wrightN

this is pretty much when sprint will want to turn on the LTE Advanced since it will use that spectrum.

iden is in it's "thinning" stage as we speak.

Haggard

They have stopped selling them in all of their channels are have been pushing people towards the new PTT service on CDMA. They still must honor warranty replacements and such as well.

Rich Brome

I agree. Although they've de-emphasized that lineup recently, you can still buy one new. IMHO, sales should have ended completely on Dec. 31, 2011.

...

tvsian

There are some areas where IDEN coverage is still better than CDMA. Theoretically, when the IDEN shutdown happens and some of the towers and frequencies get repurposed that'll change, but for the time being there are people who will get service on the...
(continues)

Rachets

May 29, 2012, 1:10 PM

Good day for Sprint

It's time to move on with the changing times, and this is a big step.

bobc74

Very bad day for Motorola, which owns the IDEN technology. 😢

...

Jaden10

May 30, 2012, 1:55 AM

I'm kinda Torn.

Yes I know iDEN is a old Technology started as MIRS (Motorola Integrated Radio System) in early 1991. And yes I know data on iDEN is painfully slow. However I must be honest, I used Nextel for 15 years and it is a good reliable, sturdy technology that served me well. Very rarely was there any issues with it going down, and the phones could go through hell and still work.

I will miss iDEN and it's damn good phones.

MarryTheNight

May 29, 2012, 12:48 PM

A good Sprint day

Glad to see Sprint is doing things right for a change. They secured financing and now they have what appears to be a concrete plan.

Like RuPaul says, "Good luck and don't phuk it up." 🤣 🤣 🤣

Mark_S

http://money.cnn.com/2012/05/29/technology/sprint-ne ... »

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