Flash Technology Announces FTW iDEN
Franklin, Tenn. (July 18, 2012) – FTW iDEN devices are approaching a time when they will no longer be supported by Sprint. These devices include the FTW 171-3 and FTW 172-3, which use an iDEN modem to talk on the Sprint Nextel network. The most recent communication from Sprint follows.
Sprint Nextel (NYSE:S) said it will shut down service on its 2G iDEN network as early as June 30, 2013. The sunset of Sprint’s legacy Nextel network is part of the carrier’s Network Vision network modernization plan. It also serves as a period to Sprint’s $36 billion acquisition of Nextel in 2005.
Sprint has already begun the process of decommissioning iDEN cell sites. Sprint expects to take 9,600 iDEN sites offline by the end of the third quarter. The company has said many of these are sites are no longer needed because they were added when Sprint had roughly 20 million total iDEN Nextel customers; Sprint now has fewer than 6 million iDEN customers. The rest of the iDEN sites will be decommissioned in 2013.
By June 30, 2013, all iDEN sites will cease operations. This does not mean that service will go uninterrupted. It is likely that we will see deployed monitoring sites start to come down as the new network is deployed in 2012 or as iDEN site failures go unrepaired by Sprint.
It is the recommendation by Flash Technology that owners of FTW iDEN systems go ahead and build into their schedule a time to replace the system during routine site inspection visits in order to eliminate extra site visits. The unit can be replaced with an FTW 174 AT&T or with the newly released 3G FTW 175 Verizon. In the rare instance where neither GPRS nor CDMA are available, an MSAT unit will need to be purchased.
We apologize for the inconvenience this will cause and have taken steps to minimize the burden by developing a CDMA option to supplement the rollout and limit the need for MSAT. We are committed to helping you through this process to limit or avoid downtime at each of your sites. Please let us know if you have any questions.
About Flash Technology
Flash Technology, LLC is based in Franklin, TN and is a subsidiary of SPX Corporation, a global multi-industry manufacturing leader. Flash Technology designs, manufactures, installs and services FAA-compliant aviation obstruction lighting systems, tower lights and monitoring equipment. Founded in 1970, the global leader supports a wide range of business industries including aviation, broadcast, telecommunications, utilities and wind energy.
About SPX Corporation
SPX Corporation is a supplier of highly engineered products and technologies, holding leadership positions in the HVAC, detection and measurement, and engineered solutions markets. Based in Charlotte, North Carolina, SPX Corporation had approximately $1.5 billion in annual revenue in 2016 and more than 5,000 employees in about 15 countries. SPX Corporation is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol “SPXC.” For more information, please visit www.spx.com.
Media Contact
Mark Lane
322 Nichol Mill Ln, Franklin, TN 37067
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