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Sprint Launches the First Instant, Over the Air Music Download Service in the U.S.


WEBWIRE

Customers can instantly purchase and download full songs over-the-air right to their phone when and where they want via the high-speed Sprint Power Vision(SM) Network

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. — 10/31/2005

Sprint (NYSE: S) customers will be the first wireless customers in the U.S. to download full songs over-the-air. Today Sprint announced the opening of the Sprint Music Store(SM) powered by Groove Mobile, the first music store in the U.S. that lets wireless customers browse, preview, download, play and manage high-quality digital music, right from their phone. Sprint customers can now take their music with them on the go and have instant access to purchase and download music when they want to, not just when they are in front of a PC.

Sprint Music Store customers can browse, preview and purchase hundreds of thousands of songs from virtually every genre of music from EMI Music, SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT, Warner Music Group and Universal Music Group. For $2.50 a song, customers get two copies of the song: one high-quality version formatted to play and enjoy only on their phone and another high-quality version formatted to download on to their PC. Customers can also burn their music to a CD using Windows Media Player.

“Sprint is the first carrier in the United States to deliver what customers want most in a wireless music store – the instant gratification of downloading and owning their own personal collection of high-quality songs on a device that is always with them,” said Len Lauer, chief operating officer for Sprint Nextel. “Sprint is delivering on-the-go entertainment through a music storefront that is customer-friendly and easy-to-use. With a single click, customers can access the Sprint Music Store and more than 250,000 songs from all four major music labels. And because their phone is always with them, now so is the music they want.”

The Sprint Music Store operates on the high-speed Sprint Power Vision(SM) Network and is now available on two new multimedia phones, including the Sprint Power Vision Phone MM-9000 by SANYO and the Sprint Power Vision Phone MM-A940 by Samsung, also announced today. When on the Sprint Power Vision Network, customers can download a full-length song in as little as 30 seconds.

The Sprint Music Store includes both a Store and Player. The Store allows customers to browse, preview and buy digital music. The Player allows customers to view their music by genre and by artist, as well as play and manage their music using playlists. It also allows customers to bring music from their PC over to their phone. Sprint Power Vision phones come packaged with a high-quality stereo headset that enables customers to enjoy music privately. Or, if they prefer, they can play their music on the built-in speakerphone without the stereo headset.

Sprint Power Vision phones come packaged with a removable memory card that is inserted in the phone to buy, download and play full songs from the Sprint Music Store. Using an optional 1GB removable memory card, customers have the ability to store up to 1000 songs purchased from the Sprint Music Store.

“We expect that Sprint will introduce many customers to their first experience with downloading digital music on a Sprint Power Vision Phone, similar to how many customers first used a digital camera via their Sprint Phone just a few years ago!” said Lauer.

Although customers do not need a data plan to purchase music using the Sprint Music Store, Sprint recommends one of several Sprint Power Vision Packs, priced at $15, $20 and $25 – all of which include a streaming radio channel from SIRIUS, streaming live news from ABC News Now, and unlimited Web and data access. For more information on pricing plans, phones, features and services, please refer to the Sprint Power Vision press kit at www.sprint.com/mr.

The Sprint Power Vision Network is currently available to approximately 130 million people nationwide and is expected to reach over 150 million people by early 2006. For complete Sprint Power Vision Network coverage maps, please visit the Sprint web site at http://www.sprint.com/business/products/products/evdoEnterZip.jsp.



About Sprint Nextel
Sprint Nextel offers a comprehensive range of wireless and wireline communications services to consumer, business and government customers. Sprint Nextel is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying innovative technologies, including two robust wireless networks offering industry leading mobile data services; instant national and international walkie-talkie capabilities; and an award-winning and global Tier 1 Internet backbone. For more information, visit www.sprint.com/mr.



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