NORCROSS, Ga.-Nextel Communications Inc. said it has expanded its iDEN network in portions of Georgia covering the towns of Athens, Barrow, Carroll, Clayton, Cobb, Coweta, Douglas, Hall, Heard, Henry, Pickens and White. Nextel added that the network expansion includes access to all of its service offerings, including its traditional cellular service, Direct Connect walkie-talkie service and wireless data services.
Nextel is currently in the process of being acquired by Sprint Corp., which operates in a number of smaller Georgia markets through its network affiliates. Sprint has said it was in discussions with those affiliates to amend their current affiliate agreements to allow the combined Sprint/Nextel to continue to operate Nextel’s network in those markets following the acquisition.
Sprint affiliate US Unwired Inc., which operates in several Georgia markets, filed a lawsuit earlier this month seeking an injunction against Sprint’s acquisition of Nextel, citing clauses in its affiliate agreement prohibiting Sprint from operating a competing network in US Unwired’s markets.
