Enhanced Wireless Network from Sprint Supports Greater Mobility for Staff and Students at Washington University in St. Louis

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. & ST. LOUIS (BUSINESS WIRE), April 25, 2011 – Washington University in St. Louis has selected Sprint (NYSE:S, news, filings) to deploy an enhanced in-building and campus-wide wireless 3G network, enabling students, faculty, staff, administration and campus visitors to have virtually seamless voice and data connectivity for communication and real-time collaboration throughout 58 Danforth Campus facilities.

“Our security and operations support staff increasingly rely on mobile devices for voice, data and applications. We were interested in a solution that will provide highly reliable cellular services in all buildings and interior spaces for security and support staff and also benefit faculty and students. Sprint’s Custom Network Solution will provide this service level for our faculty, staff and students that use Sprint data and voice services, and offer the opportunity to expand coverage to other carriers in targeted areas,” said Andrew Ortstadt, Associate Vice Chancellor for Information Services & Technology at Washington University in St. Louis.

The historic nature of Washington University in St. Louis’ campus makes aesthetic concerns a high priority. Additionally, space for network infrastructure on campus is scarce. These concerns are addressed by a single wireless network that incorporates multiple frequencies onto a common network. When the new wireless network is fully deployed in the fall of 2011, it will support critical campus communication needs. It will also allow Sprint customers to use the Sprint data network as an alternative to the university’s WiFi network for internet access. Ever-increasing demands for internet access are a challenge for the university’s network team and providing options for internet access will bring additional value.

The availability of reliable 3G coverage combined with Sprint’s partnership with premier application providers also creates the opportunity to deliver the latest in mobile safety and security applications and mobile learning tools. The network will allow interoperability between land mobile radios and mobile devices and offers the option to selectively migrate from fixed, land-line phones to mobile devices in the future. Institutions that have Blackboard Mobile^TM Learn give students and educators access to their courses, content and organizations on their mobile devices and is free for Sprint customers using Android, Blackberry and Palm devices – visit www.sprint.com/blackboard for more information.

“Sprint is committed to enabling applications that boost the mobile learning experience and to providing robust connectivity across the campus environment to meet student expectations for instant access and real-time interactions nearly anywhere they go,” said Tim Donahue, vice president of industry solutions, Sprint. “Sprint brings extensive experience in designing and deploying in-building and campus networks and a variety of application solutions that will blend with the Washington University in St. Louis’ environment and create new value for a highly mobile population.”

Sprint Custom Network Solutions are available through Sprint Business, which is composed of sales, support, marketing and operations personnel solely dedicated to enterprise, small- and medium-sized business and public sector customers. Sprint delivers wireless, wireline and converged solutions for companies, drawing on its 3G and 4G wireless capabilities, push-to-talk network, Global IP network and growing portfolio of M2M partners and solutions.

To learn more about Sprint’s education solutions, visit www.sprint.com/education or contact your Sprint account team.

For more information about Sprint CNS, visit www.sprint.com/cns.

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 more than 49.9 million customers at the end of 2010 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. Newsweek ranked Sprint No. 6 in its 2010 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.

About Washington University in St. Louis

Washington University is counted among the world’s leaders in teaching and research, and it draws students and faculty to St. Louis from all 50 states and more than 110 nations. The total student body is nearly 14,000 undergraduate, graduate and professional students. The approximately 3,400 faculty teach in seven schools: Arts & Sciences, Brown School, Olin Business School, Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts, School of Engineering & Applied Science, School of Law and School of Medicine. Twenty-three Nobel laureates have been associated with Washington University, with nine doing the major portion of their pioneering research there. The university offers more than 90 programs and almost 1,500 courses leading to bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in a broad spectrum of traditional and interdisciplinary fields, with additional opportunities for minor concentrations and individualized programs. For more information, visit www.wustl.edu.