Sprint Donates $50,000 to American Red Cross Relief Efforts, Following Series of Tornadoes in the Midwest and Southeast

The Sprint Emergency Response Team provides SatCOLT, wireless service and 300 mobile phones to Indiana first responders and public utility companies

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (BUSINESS WIRE), March 05, 2012 – In support of the victims of the tornadoes that ravaged Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri and Ohio last week, the Sprint Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Sprint (NYSE:S, news, filings), is donating $50,000 to American Red Cross disaster-relief efforts.

The Sprint Foundation is also matching American Red Cross disaster-relief donations made by Sprint employees and retirees, and members of the Sprint board of directors.

“Sprint is truly saddened by the immeasurable loss experienced by victims of last week’s tornadoes and storms in the Midwest and Southeast,” said Bill White, Sprint senior vice president-Corporate Communications and Corporate Social Responsibility. “It was less than a year ago that residents of these states experienced a similar tragedy at the hands of unpredictable events, and Sprint hopes that its continued support of American Red Cross relief efforts will ensure aid and comfort to those who need it the most.”

To directly assist the on-the-ground tornado recovery and relief efforts, the Sprint Emergency Response Team (ERT) has deployed experienced emergency communications staff, 300 Sprint Direct Connect^TM mobile phones, and emergency wireless voice and mobile IP data service through a Satellite Cell on Light Truck (SatCOLT) to Henryville, Ind. for use by impacted municipalities, public safety officials, first responder teams and public utility crews, including:

• The Clark County Regional Emergency Management Agency (Ind.)
• Monroe Township Fire Department (Ind.)
• Midwest Natural Gas (Ind.)
• Rural Membership Water Corporation (Ind.)

Sprint ERT is also supplying Sprint Direct Connect mobile phones to the village of Moscow Sheriff’s Department, Ohio, and emergency officials in the towns of West Liberty and Salyersville, Ky.

Established in response to the events of 9/11, the Sprint ERT maintains a 24-hour hotline, 365 days a year, to rapidly address client needs. As it does following any state and federally declared national disasters, Sprint ERT is currently offering 25 mobile devices and wireless service free of charge for 14 days to state and local agencies helping with the recovery efforts. Since its creation in 2002, Sprint ERT has conducted more than 4,800 deployments and provided emergency wireless support for more than 1,250 events.

Additionally, interested parties can utilize the Sprint ERT Go-Kit^TM, which provides first responders with immediate access to mobile communications tools for emergencies, including fully charged Sprint Direct Connect phones and mobile broadband devices.

Public safety officials seeking information about services from the Sprint Emergency Response Team should call 1-888-639-0020 or email ERTRequests@sprint.com.

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 55 million customers at the end of 2011 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. 3 in its 2011 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.