August 8 - 12:45pm EDT   In spite of promises to the contrary earlier this year, Sprint is indeed looking to sell its iDEN push-to-talk network, according to CNBC. Although no sources have been cited by the TV network, Sprint is already said to be negotiating with NII Holdings for a deal, as well as with separate private equity investors. NII operates primarily in Latin American countries, and is one of the few companies outside of Sprint to rely on iDEN. [full story]

July 24 - 12:25pm EDT   National carrier Sprint has signed a deal to sell a massive number of cellular towers, according to an announcement. The company says it is selling approximately 3,300 towers to TowerCo, a deal that should gain Sprint about $670 million in cash. Because the company still needs the towers to maintain coverage, it has arranged a licensing deal with TowerCo that will see it provide CDMA, iDEN and WiMAX support in exchange for a regular leasing fee. [full story]

July 2 - 1:20pm EDT   The next BlackBerry for Sprint's iDEN push-to-talk network will be a Curve phone, called the 8350, a report claims. Although Sprint announced in February that it would receive a new iDEN BlackBerry, it has otherwise kept quiet on the issue, leaving most information to media leaks and speculation. The new device is expected to help revive Sprint's struggling iDEN network, whose most recent BlackBerry is the outdated 7100i. [full story]

June 19 - 3:30pm EDT   The US Federal Communications Commission today said it has reached an agreement with Sprint that will give the cellular company extra time to give up using some of the channels it relies upon for its Nextel-born iDEN network. The company had previously been required to clear out some frequencies by June 26th to prevent interference for new public safety services but has now been given an indefinite but conditional grant to continue using some of its push-to-talk network channels until they become necessary. [full story]

May 14 - 12:55am EDT   Sprint is currently facing a heavy decision on what to do with the Nextel network, whether it should continue to invest in it, turn it into a standalone company, or simply cease operating the Nextel brand altogether. MocoNews writes that Sprint CEO Dan Hesse recently gave a bit of insight to shareholders, saying that he does not see the iDEN network (which currently is only in use by Sprint) disappearing in the near future, and insists it is the best primary choice for network service. Hesse expects that Motorola would continue to support the technology, even with the company's current wireless problems. [full story]

April 4 - 1:15pm EDT   The CEO of Sprint, Dan Hesse, has announced a new BlackBerry phone for the company's iDEN network, reports say. Sprint inherited the network when it acquired Nextel, but has long been accused of neglecting it, despite it having once had widespread popularity with taxi and construction companies, thanks to push-to-talk support. According to Hesse, the new iDEN BlackBerry is expected "later this year," and will have Wi-Fi -- a feature effectively absent from other iDEN options. [full story]

January 30 - 3:35pm EST   Sprint will not only continue to support its iDEN network, it will attempt to breathe more life into it, the company's CEO says. Rumors have persisted that the company would shut down its push-to-talk technology, which was inherited through the purchase of Nextel and was once in widespread use with the likes of construction firms and taxi companies. Although iDEN devices are still used by millions of Sprint/Nextel subscribers, the Associated Press notes that business and technical issues -- namely dropped, blocked or garbled calls -- have led thousands of people to cancel their accounts. [full story]

January 14 - 3:20pm EST   Sprint/Nextel has adopted a new Motorola phone, meant for use on its Direct Connect iDEN network. Direct Connect lets users treat phones as a walkie-talkie, with the added benefit of being able to send pictures and contact information. Linking into Group Connect, users can talk to a host of people scattered across the US. The phone is the i570, a clamshell with both internal and external screens, mainly designed to be extremely rugged -- it meets the MIL-SPEC 810F standard, certifying a base amount of protection against dust, shocks and vibration. [full story]