Sprint Prepares its Network and Emergency Response for Hurricane Sandy and Nor’easter Conditions

OVERLAND PARK, Kan.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--As Hurricane Sandy continues a path towards the East Coast and is projected to merge with a nor’easter in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions, Sprint (NYSE:S) is preparing its network, mobilizing Network Disaster Recovery staff, and strategically staging Sprint Emergency Response Team (ERT) personnel and resources to serve customers and mitigate storm impact.

Sprint’s preparations include:

• Actively monitoring the continued path of Hurricane Sandy and the nor’easter while instituting flood prevention measures at Sprint network facilities and retail stores.
• Fully fueling all permanent generators and mobilizing portable generators into threatened areas to ensure they’re available to meet response needs based on the current track and intensity of Sandy and the nor’easter.
• Verifying operational readiness of generators and emergency equipment at all mobile switching centers and network Points of Presence (POP) – the facilities where traffic enters and leaves the company’s global IP network, which facilitate dedicated data services for Sprint’s corporate and government customers, as well as other critical communications.
• Ensuring Sprint network strike teams are on standby and ready to deploy following Sandy’s landfall and the nor’easter’s impact.
• Providing any local public safety agency in need of emergency communications assistance with 14 days of service free of charge for 25 Sprint ERT wireless devices in states where an official “state of emergency” has been declared, including Connecticut Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Washington, D.C.
• Preparing and mobilizing the Sprint Emergency Response Team’s SatCOLT (Satellite Cell on Light Truck) assets, mobile phone and broadband devices, reservist staff and other equipment at its Sterling, Va. hub to provide wireless communications service to local first responders, emergency command centers and other public safety officials in the field.

Additionally, throughout 2012, Sprint’s Network Disaster Recovery team conducted a series of exercises, workshops and drills in the Northeast focused on hurricane preparedness training, tactical planning, service restoration and incident management.

Sprint’s commitment to consumers, first responders and emergency medical officials

Created in 2002, the Sprint Emergency Response Team is a group of seasoned personnel with expertise in providing immediate restoration of wireless voice, data and IP service, Sprint Mobile Broadband devices, and fully charged Sprint Direct Connect phones to facilitate coordination among disaster relief and emergency response agencies, public safety officials and medical personnel.

Sprint ERT maintains a 24-hour hotline, 365 days a year, to rapidly address client needs. Since its creation, Sprint ERT has conducted more than 5,200 deployments, and provided emergency wireless support for more than 1,250 events.

Wireless consumers residing in Sandy’s projected path are also encouraged to use the following tips to prepare for a hurricane, severe flood or other natural disasters:

• Keep your wireless phone and backup batteries fully charged, and be aware that an interruption of wireline and commercial power could affect wireless calls.
• If possible, get extra batteries and charge them.
• In times of commercial power outages, a car adapter for your wireless phone should enable you to recharge the battery.
• Keep phones and necessary accessories in a sealed plastic bag to avoid water damage.
• Load family and emergency numbers into your wireless phone.
• Use your Sprint camera phone to take digital pictures or video of your property and valuables before the storm hits, so you have "before" pictures in the event of any storm damage.
• Wireless networks sometimes experience heavy traffic during emergency events, so rather than call, remember to use Sprint® Direct Connect^® or send a text message.

For more information about Sprint’s hurricane preparation efforts, retail store closings, and to learn what you can do to prepare for a major storm, visit www.sprint.com/hurricaneinformation. Public safety officials seeking information about services from the Sprint Emergency Response Team should call 1-888-639-0020, email [e-mail], or visit Sprint ERT’s Facebook page.

About Sprint Nextel

Sprint Nextel offers a comprehensive range of wireless and wireline communications services bringing the freedom of mobility to consumers, businesses and government users. Sprint Nextel served nearly 56 million customers at the end of the third quarter of 2012 and is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying innovative technologies, including the first wireless 4G service from a national carrier in the United States; offering industry-leading mobile data services, leading prepaid brands including Virgin Mobile USA, Boost Mobile, and Assurance Wireless; instant national and international push-to-talk capabilities; and a global Tier 1 Internet backbone. The American Customer Satisfaction Index rated Sprint No. 1 among all national carriers in customer satisfaction and most improved, across all 47 industries, during the last four years. Newsweek ranked Sprint No. 3 in its 2012 Green Rankings, listing it as one of the nation’s greenest companies, the highest of any telecommunications company. You can learn more and visit Sprint at www.sprint.com or www.facebook.com/sprint and www.twitter.com/sprint.