Sprint
Nextel
Headquarters:
2001 Edmund Halley Dr.
Reston, VA 20191
Employees: 64,600
CEO: Dan Hesse
Stock Symbol: S
Website:
http://www.sprint.com
Sprint
Career Site
Sprint Nextel is one of the nation's largest telecommunications
companies, offering local, long distance, high-speed Internet
and wireless phone services.
The company had 53.8 million subscribers
at the end of 2007. The company introduced an unlimited calling
plan for $99.99 month earlier this year.
In October, Gary Forsee was asked to resign
as CEO following poor earnings and subscriber losses. Dan Hesse
was named the new CEO in December.
Sprint Nextel reported 2007 revenues of
$40.1 billion, down from $41 billion a year ago, and net loss
of $29.9 billion.
Sprint Nextel's corporate headquarters
are located in Reston, VA, former Nextel headquarters. The company's
operational headquarters are in Overland Park, KS, which is the
home of Sprint.
History
Sprint's origins began in 1899 when Cleyson
Brown began the Brown Telephone Co. to compete with Bell Telephone.
In 1975, Sprint would launch the world's first public data network.
In 1986, Sprint began offering long distance service and its
famous pin-drop commercials made their debut. In 1996, Sprint
would debut the PCS wireless network, the first all-digital nationwide
network.
In 1987, entrepreneur Morgan O'Brien founded
a company called Fleet Net. Renamed Nextel in 1993, the company
rapidly established itself as a nationwide force in the burgeoning
world of wireless communications.
In less than year's time, Nextel merged
with Dial Call and OneComm, acquired all of Motorola's SMR licenses
in the U.S., and received a $1 billion investment from wireless
pioneer Craig McCaw. 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. This marked the first combination of enhanced
digital cellular, two-way radio and text/numeric paging in one
phone the famed Nextel phone. The national rollout of iDEN
service began and the Nextel National Network was introduced
in January 1997.
Sprint officially merged with Nextel, a
provider of wireless phone services, in 2005 in a $35 billion
deal.
Benefits
Medical Plans
- Sprint offers a variety of health-care options, so employees
can select a plan that best suits their needs. These options
include a traditional indemnity plan, SprintIndemnity, with a
choice of two benefit levels; a national Preferred Provider Organization
(PPO), SprintChoice Healthcare; a national Exclusive Provider
Program (EPP), SprintSelect Healthcare, and Health Maintenance
Organizations (HMOs) in some locations.
Dental Plan
- To encourage regular dental care, employees can choose a low-coverage
or high-coverage dental option. Both options cover cleanings,
filings and comprehensive dental work, such as crowns and root
canals. An orthodontia benefit is included under the high-coverage
option.
Vision Plan
- Eye exams, contact lenses, or glass lenses and frames are covered
under Sprint's quality vision-care services. By selecting a network
provider, your family receives care at reduce costs.
Health Care Reimbursement Account - Employees have the opportunity to set aside
pre-tax dollars, up to $3,000 a year, through payroll deductions.
This set aside amount pays for eligible out-of-pocket health,
dental and vision expenses.
Dependent Day Care Reimbursement Account - Sprint helps employees save money on child and
elder day-care expenses. Employees simply set aside pre-tax dollars,
up to $5,000 a year, through payroll deductions to pays for eligible
expenses.
Life Insurance
- Coverage up to five times an employee's eligible pay is available
to help survivors maintain financial security in the event of
death. Sprint also provides dependent life insurance, business
travel accident insurance, and accidental death and dismemberment
insurance.
Voluntary Benefits
- Sprint has negotiated competative rates for non-traditional
benefits that surveys indicate employees want most: Auto/Homeowners
Insurance, Long-Term Care Insurance, Pet Insurance, and Universal
Life Insurance.
Retiree Plans -
When employees retire from Sprint, they still receive benefits
under the savings, pension and medical plans for retirees. The
Sprint Retirement Service Center is dedicated to assisting employees
make a smooth transition into an enjoyable retirement.
Discount Program
- Employees have access to national and regional discounts through
Sprint's discount program called Abilizer. They save on goods
and services from more than 200 companies, including Ford, Disney
and General Electric. A monthly $30 concession for various Sprint
services also is available.
Time Off
- Under Sprint's Paid Time Off (PTO) plan, employees have a "bucket"
of company-paid hours that they can use at their discretion for
doctor visits, parenting commitments, personal business, observing
non-company holidays and vacations. The plan gives
employees flexibility in scheduling and using paid time away
from work. In addition to PTO, employees receive six
paid holidays.
Updated April 17, 2008
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