In the nascent but burgeoning netbook game, Sprint Nextel appears to have upped the ante by offering what is essentially a free netbook--bundled with a two-year service contract, naturally. The offer is the latest salvo by a Tier 1 operator struggling to test the market for mini laptops with steep subsidies. The deal, teased on Best Buy's website, is only available at participating Best Buy r...

Sprint Nextel launched its first netbook, joining Tier 1 rivals AT&T Mobility and Verizon Wireless in the netbook craze. Operators have increasingly turned to devices like ereaders and netbooks as additional sources of mobile data revenue. Sprint will offer the Dell Inspiron Mini 10 Netbook (a version of which AT&T also offers). The device has an EV-Do Rev. A connection, a 10.1-inc...

Sprint Nextel joined rivals AT&T Mobility and Verizon Wireless by launching its first netbook. Sprint will offer the Dell Inspiron Mini 10 Netbook (a version of which AT&T also offers). The device has an EV-DO Rev. A connection, a 10.1-inch LED screen, a built-in 1.3-megapixel webcam and a 160 GB hard drive. AT&T was the first to jump in the netbook craze in the spring and ...

Netbook shipments jumped 79 percent last year to 30.2 million units, according to research firm Strategy Analytics--and the market is poised to continue growing this year. The research firm said North America and Western Europe propelled the market's growth. In the U.S., carriers including AT&T Mobility, Verizon Wireless and Sprint Nextel have begun subsidizing netbooks (with the purc...

Telespree Communications said it won a contract to provide self-service activation to i-wireless customers, an MVNO that uses the Sprint Nextel Corp. network.

Standard & Poor's Rating Services lowered its rating for Sprint Nextel Corp. to "BB-" Thursday, citing a continued loss of contract — or "post-paid" — customers.S&P lowered its corporate credit rating for the wireless carrier, as well as its issue ratings, and said its outlook for Sprint is...

Dell confirmed it will offer a $60 upgrade for three of its high-end laptops to support WiMAX. The company will offer an Intel wireless module for its Studio 15, Studio 17 and Studio XPS 16 models for use on Clearwire's network in Atlanta, Baltimore and Portland, Ore.  Clearwire plans to launch mobile WiMAX service in eight markets in 2009, and Sprint Nextel is reselling the service unde...

NewsFactor - Struggling carrier Sprint Nextel announced Thursday that it will contract with Ericsson to run its mobile-phone network. The agreement has a seven-year life span, and the company positioned it as a win for itself and its customers.

Verizon Wireless will begin selling the Palm Pre Plus and Pixi Plus--the carrier's first devices running Palm's webOS platform--on Monday for the same price that Sprint Nextel sells the Pre and Pixi. The Pre Plus will go for $149.99 and the Pixi Plus will go for $99.99, each with a two-year contract and after a $100 mail-in rebate. Verizon also is offering a Pixi Plus for free after a ma...

Sprint Nextel said it may cut between 2,000 and 2,500 jobs in an effort to save $350 million annually. The job cuts represent as much as 6 percent of the 42,000 employees Sprint had at the end of the third quarter. The news is the latest blow to the struggling carrier, which despite improvements in customer service and growth in its prepaid business, has continued to lose postpaid subscribers. The...