Arkansas Awards Sprint Three-Year Contract for Relay Services to the Deaf

From: Sprint - Nov 26, 2003

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. - Nov. 26, 2003 - Arkansas has awarded Sprint (NYSE: FON, PCS) a three-year Telecommunications Relay Services (TRS) contract to provide a variety of assistive communications services to the deaf and hard of hearing within the state. Sprint replaces SBC as the state's official provider of TRS, and will become responsible for delivering nearly 90,000 minutes of assistive communications services each month. Arkansas joins 30 other states plus Puerto Rico and the federal government in selecting Sprint Relay to provide TRS to the deaf and hard of hearing.

The agreement is expected to deliver significant cost savings to the state while providing a wide range of assistive communications technologies. Sprint's experience in the field also provides the assurance that all services delivered will meet or exceed Federal Communications Commission mandates for TRS.

The new Sprint Relay services will be available January 1, 2004 within Arkansas by dialing 711 or one of several toll free numbers; Sprint will also provide video relay services for the state through a website: www.SprintVRS.com , and Internet relay services at www.SprintRelayOnline.com.

Sprint Relay services will allow Arkansas citizens who are deaf, hard-of-hearing, deaf-blind or speech disabled to communicate with hearing persons on the phone through traditional, online or video relay services.

Traditional relay services involve a relay operator serving as an intermediary for phone calls between a deaf user and a hearing party. The TRS operator speaks words typed by a deaf user on a text telephone (TTY) or via the Internet, and relays the hearing person's spoken response by typing back to the deaf user. Video relay service (www.SprintVRS.com ) uses a similar process but enables the deaf user to communicate in American Sign Language via a computer with a web camera instead of typing.

"We're pleased Arkansas has placed their trust with Sprint for these critical services," said Mike Ligas, Region Vice President for Sprint Relay. "We have over a dozen years experience in providing these types of services to citizens and believe this experience and the quality of Sprint services will improve the lives of the citizens of Arkansas."

Sprint Government Systems Division (www.sprint.com/gsd ) is based in Herndon, Va., and offers the full range of Sprint product and service offerings for federal and state government customers. Sprint Relay began in 1990 and provides state-of-the-art technology, a full range of features and highly-trained, professional staff to ensure users are able to communicate easily and effectively every time they place a relay call. Relay service is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, with no restrictions on the number of calls placed or call length. Sprint's national Internet Relay service is available at www.sprintrelayonline.com ; its national Video Relay Service, powered by Communication Services for the Deaf, is available at www.SprintVRS.com .

For questions about Arkansas Relay, contact Hector Brual, Account Manager at 866-991-9609 (TTY), 866-957-9583 (voice) or e-mail at Hector.B.Brual@mail.sprint.com .

About Sprint
Sprint is a global integrated communications provider serving more than 26 million customers in over 100 countries. With approximately 68,000 employees worldwide and nearly $27 billion in annual revenues, Sprint is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying state-of-the-art network technologies, including the United States' first nationwide all-digital, fiber-optic network and an award-winning Tier 1 Internet backbone. Sprint provides local communications services in 39 states and the District of Columbia and operates the largest 100-percent digital, nationwide PCS wireless network in the United States. For more information, visit www.sprint.com .