Sauna

It is said that he warned the people if a fire was threatening the sauna, or punished people who behaved improperly in it – for example slept, or played games or behaved otherwise "immorally" there. Landline (in order of size). It was customary to warm up the sauna just for the gnome every now and then, or to leave some food outside for him. Wireless (in order of size). He was always treated with respect, otherwise he might cause much trouble for people. Sprint Nextel also holds naming rights to the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Missouri. Saunatonttu is a little gnome that was believed to be living in the sauna. It is expected that the name of the series will be changed to the Sprint Cup for 2007.

Even today there is an old saying alive, "saunassa ollaan kuin kirkossa," – you should be in the sauna as in a church. Sprint Nextel is the major title sponsor of NASCAR’s top racing series, called the NEXTEL Cup. All this also hints to the sauna's old, spiritual essence. Below are some of those companies which Sprint Nextel has agreed to acquire:. In many languages related to Finnish there is a word corresponding to löyly, for example lil in Ostyak, which means soul. In several cases the newly formed company was forced to acquire affiliated companies in exchange for them dropping their opposition of the merger. Originally this word meant spirit or life. Some had even threatened to push for the outright blocking of the merger.[3] In order for Sprint Nextel to allay some of this opposition by affiliates, they were forced to initiate discussions of either acquiring some of these affilates or renegotiate existing agreements.

It is a bit difficult to translate, but basically it means the heat of the sauna room, especially the heat you get when you throw water on the hot stones of the sauna oven. Following the announcement of the merger agreement, some of of these affiliates came forward with a strong opposition to the Sprint Nextel merger on the grounds that the merged company may violate existing agreements or significantly undercut earnings to these affiliates. One word in Finnish, strictly connected to sauna, is löyly. Prior to the merger, the Sprint Corporation and Nextel Communications were dependent on a network of affiliated companies. Curing diseases and casting love spells could also happen in the sauna, and, as in many other cultures, fire was seen as a gift from heaven also in Finland, and the hearth and the sauna oven were its altars. NII Holdings owns Nextel-branded networks in many Latin American countries, under license by Sprint Nextel, which owns 18% of that company. It was, among other things, a place for worshipping the dead – it was thought of as such a wonderful place that it even the dead would surely like to return to it. According to documentation filed earlier by Sprint, iDEN was, at that time, to be sold.

There were also many beliefs and charms that were connected to sauna. By 2010, Sprint Nextel plans to absorb the Nextel brand into the Sprint PCS brand. It used to be a holy place, a place where women gave birth and were the bodies of the dead were washed. Currenty Sprint PCS has a push-to-talk service called ReadyLink which is based on the SIP VoIP protocol but cannot currently make or receive calls with the iDEN based PTT system. In Finland, sauna is an ancient thing. The new push to talk platform will be based on Qualcomm's Qchat product, which has been under development between Nextel and Qualcomm since January 2002. Proper saunas in the United States are either private or are businesses serving a particular ethnic group with a more developed sauna culture. The push-to-talk feature with which Nextel has gained its fame is also expected to be released on the CDMA network in 2006 when Sprint deploys their successor to the first phase of their high speed wireless network EV-DO.

In some health clubs, the sauna gets more use from patrons drying wet clothing than for taking a sauna. However, Sprint Nextel has assured its customers that both the current iDEN and CDMA technologies will continue to be supported and that dual-band phones are being researched to work on both networks simultaneously. Sauna users enter and exit the sauna as they please, alternately nude, fully dressed in workout clothes, or dripping wet in swimsuits. Initially, speculation that current Nextel subscribers would be required to replace their existing handsets due to incompatibility between Nextel technology and Sprint technology was put forth. To avoid liability, many saunas operate at only moderate temperatures and do not allow pouring water on the rocks. subscribers, particularly popular in the south. While sauna facilities are often provided at health clubs and at hotels, they frequently remain unheated because of disuse. The Nextel brand has over 18.5 million U.S.

Unfortunately for sauna enthusiasts in the United States, sauna culture is not widespread. A downside of this sole-source (Motorola) and proprietary standard has been a lack of innovation in handset size and weight, compared to mobile telephony industry trends, though this too is changing. As a result many sentos have added more features such as saunas in order to survive. Some of Nextel's special features include its push to talk feature, which simulates the half-duplex operation of a two-way radio. While right after World War II, public bathhouses were commonplace in Japan, the number of customers have dwindled as more people were able to afford houses and apartments equipped with their own private baths as the nation became wealthier. Unlike other cellular operators, Nextel utilizes the specialized mobile radio band (SMR) and was one of the first operators in the United States to offer a national digital cellular coverage footprint. The saunas are almost always gender separated, often required by law, and nudity is a required part of proper sauna etiquette. Nextel is the former wireless brand of NEXTEL Communications, and it operates on Motorola's iDEN protocol that uses time division multiple access (TDMA) technology.

In Japan, many saunas exist at sports centers and public bathhouses (sentos).
SprintPCS also offers WiFi 802.11 service in some major airports, cafes, hotels and convention centers. As in Africa, on the whole saunas are kept at a much lower temperature than in Europe, and nudity is forbidden. Sprint also has more roaming agreements then any other US carrier, *offering service in more then 150 countries World Wide. In South America saunas are an exclusively upper class affair. Giving them the largest coverage area of any US carrier. Single-sex saunas are rare, as well as those which tolerate nudity. Along with 295 Million through roaming agreements (290 Million with a Digital Only phone).

Here too attitudes are less liberal, mixed-gender people are together and they wear swimsuits. Sprint also covered over 250 Million people in the US on it's own native network. Hungarians see the sauna a part of a wider spa culture. At the end of Q105, there were Sprint 28 million wireless subscribers. Saunas in Slovenia and Croatia have setups similar to those in Germany and Austria, and are perhaps a bit more relaxed about enforcing rules. (See Merger of Sprint and NEXTEL section above) [2]. In the UK, where public saunas are becoming increasingly fashionable, the practice of alternating between the sauna and the jacuzzi in short seatings (considered a faux pas in Northern Europe) has emerged. Alamosa PCS is the largest of its affiliate carriers, the others are Ubiquitel, iPCS, Shentel, Enterprise, Northern PCS, and Swiftel.

Sauna sessions tend to be shorter and cold showers are shunned by most. In most cases, these affiliate carriers are transparent to the end user or consumer. Nudity is strictly forbidden, a cause of confusion and argument when nationals of these nations cross the border to Germany and Austria or vice versa. In exchange, the smaller companies receive usage of Sprint's brand, radio spectrum, customer service and billing. In much of southern Europe, France and the UK single gender saunas are more common than mixed gender saunas. These smaller companies, in agreement with Sprint, build network infrastructure as well as operate retail stores. Also in respect to socialising in the sauna the Swiss tend more to be like the Swedes of Finns. Sprint Nextel maintains its nationwide PCS presence with the help of affiliates.

In (at least the German-speaking part of) Switzerland it is generally the same as in Germany and Austria, although you tend to see more families (parents with their children) and young people. Qualcomm collects royalties for anything related to Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA). Cold showers or baths shortly after a sauna, as well as exposure to fresh air in a special balcony, garden or open-air room (Frischluftraum) are considered a must. GSM's upgrade path of UMTS *Wide-Band Code Division Multiple Access (W-CDMA) is based on the CDMA protocal. An Aufguss session in progress is indicated by a light or sign hung above the sauna entrance. CDMA 1X data speeds can reach 144 Kbps, while EV-DO has speeds of 2 Mbps. During an Aufguss session it is not permitted to enter the sauna, as opening the door would cause loss of heat (though leaving is grudgingly tolerated). The speeds will be slower on the 1X network though.

During an Aufguss session the Saunameister uses a large towel to percolate the hot air through the sauna, intesifying sweating and the perception of heat. Unlike Verizon's EV-DO offering, Sprint's Power Visions content is available off of Sprint's EV-DO network. Aufguss sessions can take up to 10 minutes, and take place according to a schedule. It is currently being offered in 41 states in the US. Contrary to Scandinavian countries, pouring water on hot stones to increase humidity (Aufguss) is not normally done by the sauna visitors themselves, but rather by a person in charge (the Saunameister), either an employee of the sauna complex or a volunteer. Sprint's EV-DO (Power Visions) offering includes Sprint TV, Sprint Radio (Both Streaming and SIRIUS Satellite Music ) Stations, Sprint's Music Store, Sprint On-Demand, Unlimited Web Access, Video and Picture Mail, Wireless Chat, Games and More. Loud conversation is not usually tolerated as the sauna is seen as a place of healing rather than socialising. They expect to spend over two and one half billion dollars upgrading the existing network to EV-DO technology.

Single-gender saunas are rare, though most places organise women-only days once a week. Sprint is currently rolling out a higher speed wireless network using EV-DO technology. In Germany and Austria on the other hand, nudity is strictly enforced in public saunas, as is the covering of benches with towels. The Sprint PCS network operates a 3G wireless network, using the 1xRTT standard, which is part of the Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) standard. Levels of nudity vary, single sex saunas are as common as mixed sex saunas and people tend to socialise. Sprint PCS is the main wireless brand of Sprint Nextel, and was the main brand of the former Sprint Corporation. Benelux and Scandinavian countries, where public saunas have been around for a long time too, generally have a moderate, "live and let live" attitude towards sauna going with few traditions to speak of. The company also continues to reinforce the idea of a combination of brand strengths on several levels of marketing including a voice over exclaiming "Sprint, together with Nextel" or "Nextel, together with Sprint" as a way to play on the idea of a merger of equals.

In Russia public saunas are strictly single sex while in Finland both types occur. [1]. These countries boast the hottest saunas and the tradition of beating fellow sauna-goers with birch branches. The logo is a blend of the former Sprint "pin drop" marketing image as well as the colors of Nextel's bright yellow and black logo design with its cellular service level bars that, from past marketing would get 'typed' from a single vertical black line. In Finland and Russia sauna going plays a central social role. The new logo of the Sprint Nextel Corporation was one of the first attempts at seamlessly meshing the initial brands of both the Sprint Corporation and NEXTEL Communications. In many countries sauna going is a recent fashion and attitudes towards saunas are changing, while in others traditions have survived over generations. On September 1, 2005, Sprint Nextel combined plan offerings of its Sprint PCS and Nextel brands to bring more uniformity across the company's offerings.

Today, public perception of saunas, sauna "etiquette" and sauna customs vary hugely from country to country. Analysts speculate that Sprint Nextel will acquire additional affiliates. Although cultures in all corners of the world have imported and adapted the sauna, many of the traditional customs have not survived the journey. In 2005, Sprint Nextel acquired three of its wireless affiliates, US Unwired (deal closed in August), Gulf Coast Wireless (deal closed in October), and IWO Holdings (deal closed in October). As the home of the sauna, Finnish sauna culture is well established. The new local phone company will be the fifth largest local exchange carrier in the United States (under the Baby Bells) and the largest independent local provider, serving customers in 18 states and providing local, long distance and high-speed data services to residential and business customers. See also: gay bathhouse. Sprint Nextel is expected to spin off its local telephone division into a separate company officially named Embarq Corporation and traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol EQ.

Like at other social gatherings, pairs inclined for sex usually retreat away from the group. Sprint Nextel has also announced other upcoming MVNO partnerships, including ESPN, Movida Wireless, and Disney. Regardless of whether the participants are completely nude or not, unwelcome sexual advances in the sauna are considered to be a major social blunder. Current MVNOs using the PCS network to provide coverage include Virgin Mobile, EarthLink, Working Assets, Telispire, Excel Wireless, STI Mobile, Liberty, Powernet Global, Platinum Tel, ConnexOne, and Qwest. Covering towels may be optional or may alternatively be considered prudish. The MVNOs resell wireless services using their own brand. Mixed-sex bathing occurs (in finnish sekasauna), but there is seldom a sexual intent. Sprint Nextel wholesales capacity on its PCS wireless network to companies called Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNO); this means the MVNO uses the Sprint PCS network for coverage.

In Finland and Northern Scandinavia, many teenagers and young adults have sauna parties. Sprint Nextel also offers pre-paid services through the Boost Mobile brand, and it provides services in the Philippines through the Next Mobile brand. Such a cabin offered privacy when living in confined quarters – and comfortable temperature after finished bathing. It is also a provider of landline, long distance, business telecommunications, and Tier 1 internet service provider under the name SprintLink. While saunas in modern apartments as a rule are too small, saunas of old farm houses are separate buildings. Sprint Nextel currently offers cellular phone service under its Sprint PCS and Nextel brands. It is considered acceptable for a pair to have sex in a sauna, if they are there alone and no one else can be disturbed by it. Nextel is known for its free incoming call plan.

Several urban legends exist on what the Scandinavians, and particularly the Finns, do in the saunas that are a part of many or most homes and summer houses. Other affiliates have also filed lawsuits against Sprint Nextel. This generally happens more frequently in inner-city areas in the US and the UK than in Continental Europe where a sauna is generally seen as a family or social event. Sprint Nextel has made a settlement with an affiliate named Ubiqutel that Sprint won't be providing any Nextel service within the Ubiqutel service limits. This euphemistic usage generally applies to establishments that advertise themselves as being a sauna rather than those that have a sauna on the premises. These regional affiliates felt that the new company would be violating non-compete agreements that the former companies had made with the affiliates. Some such saunas rent out small rooms for this purpose: others are disguised brothels. Sprint and NEXTEL both faced opposition to the merger, mostly from regional affiliates that provide wireless services on behalf of the companies.

In some countries there are adult-only saunas that have different rules and customs, the term "sauna" being used for a bath-house or "health club", sometimes with facilities like a standard sauna, but where people go to find sexual partners and have sex on the premises (however not in the sauna itself). Sprint Nextel was officially formed on August 12, 2005, when the deal was completed. But for most people, it is still the health benefits that are the main attraction. The FCC placed a condition on the merger that Sprint Nextel is to provide wireless service within the 2.5 GHz band within the next four years. The possibilities are endless and creating innovative and sometimes quirky designs has become part of the appeal of sauna bathing. Department of Justice on August 3, 2005. You can have a sauna in your home or apartment, in your backyard, on your rooftop, or even in a vehicle or on a pontoon boat. The merger deal was approved by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and U.S.

There are wet saunas, dry saunas, smoke saunas, steam saunas, and those that work with infrared waves as described above. Sprint and NEXTEL shareholders overwhelmingly approved the merger on July 13, 2005. Heat sources include wood, electricity, gas and other more unconventional methods such as solar power. 5 leading providers in the US mobile phone industry. Today there are a wide variety of sauna options. 3 and No. In an infrared sauna, the electric heaters warm the air and also penetrate the skin to encourage perspiration, producing many of the same health benefits of traditional steam saunas. At the time of the merger announcement Sprint and NEXTEL were the No.

Unlike the sun’s UV radiation, infrared is said to be beneficial to overall health. While billed as a merger of equals, the transaction was actually the purchase of NEXTEL Communications by Sprint Corporation. Infrared saunas use a special heater that generates infrared radiation rays similar to that produced by the sun. On December 15, 2004, Sprint and NEXTEL announced they would merge to form Sprint Nextel Corporation. Infrared Saunas, Wet, Dry, Smoke and Steam Saunas. NEXTEL was formerly traded on the NASDAQ under the ticker "NXTL". This led to further evolution of the sauna, including the electric sauna stove, which was invented and implemented in the 1950s and far infrared saunas, which have become popular in the last several decades. Mark Warner, a former Virginia Governor and possible 2008 presidential candidate was one of the company's co-founders.

When the Finns migrated to other areas of the globe, they brought their sauna designs and traditions with them, introducing other cultures to the enjoyment and health benefits of saunas. In 1995, wireless pioneer Craig McCaw became a significant investor in the company. Because the sauna was often the cleanest structure and had water readily available, Finnish women also gave birth in the sauna. O'Brien, a Washington, DC, communications attorney, and changed its name to NEXTEL Communications in 1993. The sauna was an important part of daily life, and families bathed together in the home sauna, but the genders didn’t mix in public saunas. NEXTEL was founded as FleetCall in 1987 by Morgan E. The Finns also used the sauna as a place to cleanse the mind, rejuvenate and refresh the spirit, and prepare the dead for burial. In 2005, Sprint merged by buying out competitor Nextel, forming Sprint Nextel,.

The Finns also used vihtas (veh-tas) or bundles of birch twigs to gently slap the skin and create further stimulation of the pores and cells. (FON meaning "Fiber Optic Network", which was Sprint's bragging right.). The steam and high heat caused bathers to perspire, thus flushing away impurities and toxins from the body. In April 2004, the separately traded wireless tracking stock, "PCS", was absorbed into the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) "FON" ticker, Sprint's former ticker. Steam vapor, also called löyly (lou-lu), was created by splashing water on the heated rocks. In 2003, Sprint began recombining their local telecom, long distance, wireline, and wireless business units into a new company, marketing the combined company as "One Sprint". Air temperatures averaged around 180F but often exceeded 200 degrees in a traditional Finnish sauna. However the deal did not go through because of pressure from the United States Department of Justice and the European Union on concerns of it creating a monopoly.

Eventually the sauna evolved to use a metal woodstove, or kiuas (ke-wus), with a chimney. The deal would have been the largest corporate merger in history at the time. The Evolution of the Sauna. On October 5, 1999 Sprint and MCI WorldCom announced a $129 Billion dollar merger agreement between the two companies. This type of traditional smoke sauna was called a savu, which means smoke in Finnish. In 1995, the company began to offer wireless service under the Sprint PCS brand. The wood smoke aroma still lingered and was part of the cleansing ritual. That same year United Telecom changed its name to Sprint (dropping the US).

Once the temperature reached desired levels, the smoke was allowed to clear and the bathers entered. In 1991 United Telecom completed its acquisition of US Sprint. The smoke from the fire filled the room as the air warmed. In 1989 United Telecom purchased controlling interest in US Sprint. Rocks were heated in a stone fireplace with a wood fire. This was a partnership owned by GTE and United Telecom. As tools and techniques advanced, they were later built above ground using wooden logs. In 1986, Sprint was merged with US Telecom (the long distance arm of United Telecom) to form US Sprint.

The early Finnish sauna was dug into a hill or embankment. Southern Pacific Communications became part of GTE in 1982. Historical evidence and records indicate that the Finns built the first wooden saunas over 2000 years ago. Some claim it was a acronym for "Southern Pacific Railroad Information NeTwork or Switched PRIvate Network Telecommunications.". The Finnish Savu. According to company employees, Sprint was a name chosen by a contest sponsored within the company by Rex Hollis, the VP of Marketing at the time. Public bathhouses that often contained a steam room were common in the 1700s, 1800s and early 1900s and were inexpensive places to go to wash when private facilities were not generally available. Prior attempts at offering long distance service were disapproved by the Federal Communications Commission, though the company's fax service (SpeedFAX) had been permitted.

Many cultures have close equivalents, such as the North American First Nations sweat lodge, the Turkish hammam, Roman thermae, Aztec or Maya temazcal and Russian banya. The Railroad had extensive rights of way that could be used to lay long-distance communications. The Finnish-style sauna (generally 70-90 degrees Celsius (158-194 °F), but can vary from 60 to 120 degrees (140-248 °F)) and the wet steam bath are the most widely known forms of sweat bathing. Southern Pacific Communications Company (SPCC), a unit of the Southern Pacific Railroad began offering their dial-up service shortly after the Execunet II decision late in 1978. As an additional facility a sauna may have one or more jacuzzis. That company changed its name to United Telecommunications in 1972, as it began to offer a more diversified product range. Sometimes draping the towel around the waist is required in the restaurant area. In the mid 20th century, Brown changed its name to United Utilities.

It may also be noted that engaging in sexual activity in an environment where the temperature approaches 100 °C would be impractical at the least.^{[citation needed]} In the dry sauna and on chairs one sometimes sits on a towel for hygiene and comfort; in the steam bath the towel is left outside. The company was a landline telephone company that operated as a competitor to the Bell System. In fact the sauna is considered not only a sex-free, but also almost a gender-free zone. The Sprint Corporation was founded in 1899 by Cleyson Brown under the Brown Telephone Company in the small town of Abilene, Kansas. Social and mixed gender nudity with adults and children is quite common in the conventional sauna, with a strict prohibition of any form of sexual activity. . Pouring a few centiliters of beer into the water that is poured on the hot stones releases the odor of the grain used to brew the beer, and can bring a wonderful smell of freshly baked bread into the air. The company maintains operational headquarters in Overland Park, Kansas.

Although, in the Finnish sauna culture, a beer afterwards is thought to be refreshing and relaxing. The new company, formerly known as Sprint Corporation, was created from the $35 billion purchase of NEXTEL Communications by Sprint, though the entire deal was billed as a merger of equals. Alcoholic drinks are usually not used in the sauna, as the effects of heat and alcohol are cumulative^{[citation needed]}. It also operates landline and long distance business, as well as several units that provide businesses and governments with communications services. In Finland, saunas are thought of as a healing refreshment and have been used to "cure" people from many diseases through the ages.^{[citation needed]} There is even a saying: "Jos ei viina, terva tai sauna auta, tauti on kuolemaksi." (If a disease can't be cured by booze, tar, or the sauna, it is fatal.). With 45.6 million subscribers, under the Sprint PCS and Nextel brands—behind Cingular Wireless and Verizon Wireless. The cool shower or plunge afterwards always results in a great increase in blood pressure, so careful moderation is advised for those with a history of stroke or hypertension (high blood pressure). based on total wireless customers.

The sauna can be so soothing that heat prostration or the even more serious hyperthermia (heat stroke) can result. It operates the third largest wireless network in the U.S. Infrared saunas are growing in popularity, using far infrared rays emitted by infrared heaters to create warmth. With a combined market cap of *$68.99 billion as of early 2006. A draft, even if at 100 °C, may still be unwelcome. Sprint Nextel Corporation (NYSE: S), headquartered in Reston, VA, is one of the largest telecommunications companies in the World. Good manners requires that the door to a sauna not be kept open so long that it cools the sauna for those that are already in it. Qwest.

Finer control over the temperature experienced can be achieved by choosing a higher level bench for those wishing a hotter experience or a lower level bench for a more moderate temperature. Verizon. The "wet heat" would cause scalding if the temperature were set much higher. AT&T (recent merger of SBC and AT&T). Other types of sauna, such as the hammam, where the humidity approaches 100%, will be set to a much lower temperature of around 40 °C to compensate. Cellular. The hottest Finnish and Swedish saunas have very low humidity levels, which allows air temperatures that could boil water to be tolerated and even enjoyed for short periods of time. U.S.

Saunas overcome this problem by controlling the humidity. Alltel. Under many circumstances, temperatures approaching and exceeding 100 °C (212 °F) would be completely intolerable. T-Mobile. This may be a separate area where swimming wear is taken off or a smaller facility in the swimming pool area where one should keep the swimming wear on. Verizon Wireless. They may also be present in a public swimming pool. Cingular.

Most North American college/university physical education complexes and many public sports centers include sauna facilities. Once completed the Nextel Partners deal will add more than 2 million customers directly to the Sprint Nextel company. . [8]. ^{[citation needed]}. [7] finally reach an agreement for a $6.5B deal where the Sprint Nextel Corporation will acquire the largest of Nextel's affilates to end Nextel Partners' opposition to any changes by Sprint in relation to the NEXTEL merger. It is believed by some that heavy sweating helps to remove 'toxins' from the body.^{[citation needed]} It is also believed that exposure of the skin to heat stimulates the production of white blood cells and strengthens the immune system. December 21, 2005: Sprint Nextel Corporation and Nextel Partners, Inc.

This induces relaxation and promotes sweating. [6] - (velocitawireless.com). Taking a sauna is usually a social affair in which the participants disrobe and sit or recline in temperatures of over 80 °C (176 °F). The transaction will enhance the iDEN network's 900 MHz spectrum position. Sauna may also be used as a verb describing the act of using a sauna. December 16, 2005: Sprint Nextel announces acquisition of non-affiliate Velocita Wireless. These facilities derive from the Finnish sauna. December 16, 2005: Sprint Nextel announces a $98 million agreement to acquire Enterprise Communications of Columbus, Georgia, thus adding over 52,000 customers to the company's PCS Wireless division.[5].

A sauna is a small room or house designed as a place to experience dry or wet heat sessions, or an establishment with one or more of these and auxiliary facilities. Potentially adding an additional 1.48 million customers to Sprint Nextel. acquisition agreement for Texas-based Sprint PCS affilate Alamosa Holdings. November 21, 2005: Sprint Nextel announces a $4.3B. (With that closing on October 3, 2005).

Another acquisition forced by Gulf Coast Wireless, added an additional 95,000 customers mainly in Louisiana and Mississippi to Sprint Nextel's CDMA network. (This acquisition closed on October 20, 2005.). August 30, 2005: Sprint Nextel announces the intention to acquire IWO Holdings, Inc. a mainly New England-based network affiliate for the Sprint PCS business. [4].

Thus adding some 500,000 additional direct customers to the Sprint Nextel company. August 12, 2005: Sprint acquires the Sprint PCS affiliate US Unwired for $1.3B. Sprint EV-DO/1X coverage maps.