The Nextel Phone

The Nextel Phone

Renamed Nextel in 1993, the company rapidly established itself as a nationwide force in the burgeoning world of wireless communications. By mid-1995, Nextel was on point to serve all of the nation's top 50 markets.

Armed with nationwide spectrum and presence, Nextel was ready to dramatically demonstrate its genius for innovation. In September 1996, the company introduced Motorola's breakthrough iDEN technology. The national rollout of iDEN service began and the Nextel National Network was introduced in January 1997.

By the year 2000, the company had connected to countries around the world and introduced its always-connected wireless data solution. Soon to follow were its signature Nationwide Direct Connect walkie-talkie service, IP broadband access and a steady stream of feature-rich Internet-ready phones and smart devices.

The Nextel Tradition.

Sprint's red diamond logo represented the combined achievements of many legendary predecessors, including United Telecommunications, US Sprint and Centel.

Each embraced the same bold approach that Sprint's founder Cleyson Brown showed in 1899, when the Brown Telephone Company successfully went toe-to-toe with the Bell monopoly in Abilene, Kansas. By 1986, Sprint led all U.S. telecom companies by completing the first nationwide, 100% digital, fiber-optic network. At the same time, the company was a pioneer in data communications, establishing the world's third largest commercial packet data network in 1980.

Sprint charged into the 1990s with pacesetting moves for both consumers and businesses. The company that gave America pin-drop clarity also became a global leader in voice and data services. Then a new kind of Telecom Company emerged in 1993, when Sprint and Centel merged to become a unique provider of local, wireless and long distance services.