Sprint (NYSE: S) Nextel said it will phase out its push-to-talk (PTT) network based on iDEN technology starting 2013 as part of a network modernization project.

Alcatel-Lucent, Ericsson and Samsung Electronics will combine the operator's various bands of spectrum into a single base station. Sprint will spend some $5 billion on the project.

Sprint said it plans to save at least $10 billion over seven years because of decreased costs in energy and roaming. It also will reap the benefits of maintaining fewer cell sites. Sprint currently runs a CDMA EV-DO network in the 1900 MHz PCS band, has a wholesale deal with Clearwire to use WiMAX in the 2.5 GHz band and owns an iDEN network in the 800 MHz band.

Sprint said the base stations will allow flexibility to offer new technologies using any of the 800 MHz, 1900 MHz or 2.5 GHz bands, as well as other spectrum bands. To continue serving PTT users, Sprint said it expects to introduce new PTT services in 2011 on its CDMA network. As the shift to more broadband-centric PTT applications on the CDMA network occurs, it is expected that iDEN cell sites will be phased out. This phase out is expected to begin in 2013. Sprint bought the iDEN network from Nextel in 2005.

"We're seeing an increasing need from our push-to-talk customers for high-speed data capabilities, said Steve Elfman, president-Network Operations & Wholesale, Sprint. "Marrying the industry's only sub-second PTT call setup with broadband data directly supports our customers' needs and creates an unmatched offering in the market. Additionally, we fully expect a competitively priced lineup of rugged handsets and smartphones on the CDMA network."

Sprint and the three companies expect to finalize the implementation schedule and begin the first stages of deployment in 2011. Completion of Network Vision, Sprint's name of the project, across the Sprint network is expected to take three to five years.

For more:
- see this release

Related Articles:
After handing network to Ericsson, Sprint's next challenge is driving high-end users
Sprint Nextel intros Android-based push-to-talk device
Sprint Nextel dropping CDMA-based push-to-talk service
Sprint to launch new push-to-talk devices
Sprint offers first slider phone with push-to-talk capability