Sprint Nextel Corporation says that its Nextel push-to-talk service is being moved to a new, faster, data-capable network. Mark Bonavia (boh-nah-VEE-yah) is a spokesman for Sprint, and he says the change has been in the works for quite some time.
The company says it hopes to complete the network shift by June 30th of next year. Its 2G iDEN network, which can't handle data quickly enough for smartphones, will then be shut down. Use of Nextel devices and the Nextel name will be phased out. The Nextel direct-connect service has earned a following among businesses and government agencies which issue the devices to construction crews and other mobile workers.