Crystal's Crazy World of Crisis, Policy & Regional PR

29Flickr.com photo courtesy of Hans J. Hansen

This is the time of year when you appreciate and depend on your smartphone more than ever.

• Its stellar 8mpx camera has to quickly document your countless holiday party moments and superb potluck and cookie exchange contributions.
• The irresistible cuteness of your nieces and nephews is screaming to be videotaped by your phone's high-definition recording quality. 
• Your Twitter, Facebook, Foursquare, Instagram, Flickr and Tumblr updates will hit record levels with your endless stream of shopping trips, gatherings with family and friends, and travel destinations.  
• When the ball drops at 12am on January 1, you want to post celebration photos online before your friends upload their set. 

I could go on and on, but you get the point. With this amount of overtime, your smartphone will need a boost of energy, which means your carrier's wireless network will need a boost of energy as well. 

Well, loyal and very much-appreciated Sprint users, here's what we're doing: 

• Wireless voice and data capacity upgrades for several Sprint sites that serve New York City's Times Square.
• Deploying a Cell Site on Wheels (COW) on the Las Vegas Strip and making wireless voice and data upgrades for Sprint cell sites along the Las Vega Strip
• Deploying one COW each for the Rose Parade and the Rose Bowl football game in Pasadena CA, as well as making a multiple wireless voice and data upgrades for Sprint sites serving the parade route and the Rose Bowl stadium.
• Wireless voice and data upgrades to the Sprint cell sites which serve the San Francisco stadium hosting the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl.

Sprint is also working to make necessary coverage and capacity upgrades to voice and data service for the following events:

• Tempe, AZ: Fiesta Bowl Block Party
• Boston, MA: New Years’ Eve
• Philadelphia, PA: Penn’s Landing New Year’s Eve & Mummer’s Parade
• San Antonio, TX: New Year’s Eve celebration
• Lake Buena Vista, FL: Walt Disney World New Year’s Eve

Be safe and Happy New Year!

And in case you missed it, here is Sprint's statement on the smartest decision AT&T has made since... ever. 

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – Dec. 19, 2011 – Vonya B. McCann, senior vice president of Government Affairs for Sprint (NYSE: S), issued the following statement in response to AT&T’s decision to end its bid to takeover T-Mobile USA:

“Earlier today, AT&T terminated its definitive merger agreement with Deutsche Telekom to acquire T-Mobile USA. This is the right decision for consumers, competition and innovation in the wireless industry. 

“From the beginning, Sprint has stood with consumers who spoke loudly and clearly that AT&T’s proposed takeover of T-Mobile would create an undeniable duopoly that would have resulted in higher prices, less innovation and fewer choices for the American consumer.

“Sprint commends the Department of Justice, the Federal Communications Commission and the bi-partisan group of state attorneys general who gave voice to the concerns of consumers across the country. We look forward to competing fiercely in the robust, competitive market that exists today and continuing to deliver the world class service and products that consumers have come to expect from Sprint.”

(download)

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wireless-emergency-alerts-are-visiting-new-york-city-JxJyFGlsswqIwHEBvooh.zip (39 KB)

Yes.

After years of software development, planning and more planning, Sprint is joining the New York City Office of Emergency Management (OEM), the FCC and FEMA in testing the Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) system in New York City's five boroughs. 

Taking place today between 10am and 3pm, the test will entail the delivery of a series of six text messages to WEA-enabled mobiles phones around New York City. The phones will be provided by the four national wireless carriers (AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon) and delivered by OEM and FEMA. 

Exactly one month ago, Sprint was the first wireless carrier to launch WEA on its mobile network and currently has twelve mobile phones that are WEA-enabled. That number will grow with all Sprint phones launching on its network in 2012 and beyond being installed with the software necessary to receive the alerts. 

If successful - and we know it will be - the test will lead the way for a Wireless Emergency Alert system to be be fully able in New York City, Washingto, D.C. and other major U.S. cities over the next year.

So for the typical smartphone user who's always on the go and rarely in front of a television, you will now be able to receive news of an emergency situation in your current geographic area - no matter which U.S. city you're located at the time.

A resident of New York City, but traveling to Las Vegas for the newest Cirque Du Soleil show while the city is under threat of severe or life-threatening wind or rain storm? Don't worry, If you have a WEA-enabled, you'll receive an emergency alert and hopefully have enough time to take shelter in a nearby casino that has a five-star restaurant.

Wireless Emergency Alerts are here and they're taking over New York --- for a limited time.  

We've all experienced it at least once. 

In the middle of a new Mad Men episode. While Stephen Colbert is prancing around in tights. Just when Tim Tebow throws a 40-yard touchdown pass and prepares to transition into his signature kneel. 

It happens. The beep sounds, the television flashes and a stream of words slowly scroll across the top of your 52" flat screen. The alert is usually an imminent weather update - a snow storm warning, impending tornado, or a hurricane watch. 

However, if you're not near a television and say, shopping in Home Depot or driving across three states with your iPod at full decibel level, you probably won't see this message. 

That's when Wireless Emergency Alerts come in - currently available on select Sprint mobile phones (e.g. The HTC EVO 3D and The Samsung Galaxy S II Epic 4G Touch) and targeted to your specific geographic location.

So if you're a Washington, D.C. resident and happen to be in Las Vegas this New Year's Eve or visiting grandma in New Hampshire, and a local weather emergency, AMBER Alert or Presidentially declared emergency is occurring in your area or nationally, a message will be sent to your phone making you aware of this incident.

Beginning this week, Sprint is testing these alerts for its customers. If you have an applicable Sprint phone, you will receive the following the text alert:

SprintFreeMsg: You can now receive national and local emergency alerts directly on your phone. Learn more at http://sprint.us.wea. 

The included link will direct you to instructions on enabling the feature and the associated URL on sprint.com. 

As always, be safe, be alert and please, keep your Sprint mobile phone well charged. 

Today is no ordinary day in South Florida. Yes, the weather is expected to be the typical mix of sunny skies and 80 degree temps. However, it's Cyber Monday 2010 - one of the busiest Internet shopping days of the day. A day when super fast wireless speeds are vitally important. 

We wouldn't want you to miss out adding the last heavily discounted 60" flat screen LCD TV with free shipping to your online shopping cart, before the Web surfer next to you gets their hands on it. 

That's why Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Palm Beach, Boca Raton, Coral Springs, Pembroke Pines, Riviera Beach, Pompano Beach, South Palm Beach, West Palm Beach, Delray Beach, Deerfield Beach (you get the idea), will all get Sprint 4G starting today! 

Sprint 4G enables fast mobile downloads, wireless video chat and turbo-charged mobile Web browsing up to 10 times faster than 3G service. 

Today’s announcement marks the fifth Florida market to offer Sprint 4G. Customers from Jacksonville to Daytona, Tampa to Orlando, and now, South Florida can take advantage of the Sprint 4G Network with a range of 4G-capable devices already available from Sprint. This brings Sprint 4G to 68 total markets, including Washington, D.C., New York City, Los Angeles, Cleveland, Cincinnati and Columbus, Ohio. 

Also just in time for the holiday season, Sprint is giving South Florida residents an additional resource to test the HTC EVO™ 4G - the first 4G mobile phone released by a national wireless carrier. Between now January 8, 20111, the following mall and shopping center locations will be equipped with HTC EVO 4G demonstration kiosks: 

• Dadeland Mall - 7535 Dadeland Mall, Miami, Fla., 33156
• Dolphin Mall - 11401 NW 12th Street, Miami, Fla.,33172
• Sawgrass Mills - 12801 West Sunrise Blvd, Sunrise, Fla., 33323
•  The Mall at Wellington Green - 10300 West Forest Hill Boulevard, Wellington, Fla.,33414

According to this new video, the HTC EVO 4G has received a number of accolades - like Newsweek's praise that EVO is "the most advanced smartphone on the market"... so giving South Florida residents this opportunity is an especially special holiday treat. 

Sprint 4G Customer Support Vehicle in the Central Florida Area

I love New York City as a much as the next person. Heck, I'm a native of the grand metropolis - raised in Queens, educated in Brooklyn and possessor of veins that bleed the infamous pairing of blue and orange that only a true New York Mets and Knicks fan could love. 

However, with yesterday's Sprint 4G announcement, affection for the my hometown has to take a little bit of a back seat to my duty to the state of Florida on behalf of Sprint. 

I've grown to really appreciate the tropical haven that is Florida over the last two years - having infiltrated its borders more times in the last 18 months than I ever did since my first visit back in 1988. I was nine years old and Walt Disney World was better than Christmas. 

Today, Florida has a few cards to play in the tech industry, with offices across its major cities serving Cisco, Yahoo, Oracle, Lockheed Martin, Sony, Boeing and [ehhh] AT&T.

And now, with Sprint 4G being available in Daytona, Jacksonville, Orlando and (as of yesterday) Tampa-St. Petersburg, the state is definitely one place tech geeks can vacation worry-free, always connected and with all their wireless gadgets in tow. Just ask Jack Rowland aka The Gadget Guy of The St. Petersburg Times.

Here's a rundown of the Tampa Bay-St.Petersburg area cities Sprint 4G is available:

And let's not forget Sprint 4G's availability in Orlando:

Stayed tuned for news on Sprint 4G's launch in Miami in the coming weeks and more Sprint 4G MMV stops in the state. 

Check out the tricked-out Sprint 4G MMV getting a little sun before its wave of fans descend.

I've mentioned the Sprint 4G Mobile Marketing Vehicle before and my colleague @JBTaylor even did a short video about it last year.Here's a quick reminder about what the Sprint 4G MMV is all about:

• It's a tricked-out super fast wireless automobile and the most recognizable van since Scooby-Doo's Mystery Machine.  
• It's currently bouncing around Sprint's newly launch 4G markets in Florida - Daytona, Jacksonville and Orlando - showing wireless users how Sprint 4G makes technology favorites like HTC EVO 4G, Samsung Epic 4G, video conferencing, live video streaming, mobile video chats, and the XBox all the more better.
• Anyone who visits the Sprint 4G MMV will get a chance to snag a Fandango voucher worth two (2) movie tickets and enter a sweepstakes to win 4Gs... otherwise known as $4,000.

The Sprint 4G MMV has been requested for a few private events, but here's a list of a few public appearances it's making in the Sunshine State, with more to be addded to the list: 

• Saturday, September 25, 2010 - Daytona Seafood Festival - 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. ET
• Monday, September 27, 2010 - Sprint Retail Store @ 10261 River Marsh Drive, Suite 137, Jacksonville, FL - 4 to 7 p.m. ET
• Wednesday, September 29, 2010 - The University of Central Florida @ 4000 Central Florida Blvd, Bldg 52, Orlando, Florida - 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET
• Wednesday, September 29, 2010 - Best Buy @ 10300 Southside Blvd, Jacksonville, Florida - 4 to 7 p.m. ET 

Stop by. Say hi. Make some new tech-savvy friends. And don't forget that Fandango voucher or your 4Gs entry (contest ends on Dec. 31).

Sprint 4G loves you, Florida!

UPDATE (MONDAY, SEPT. 27 @ 1 P.M. ET) Just received details on two new Sprint 4G MMV stops in Orlando for the week of September 27, 2010:    

• Monday, September 27, 2010 - Sprint Retail Store @ 4104 Millenia Blvd., Orlando, FL - 4 to 7 p.m. ET
• Tuesday, September 28, 2010 - Sprint Retail Store @ 885 North Alafaya Trail, Orlando, FL - 4 to 7 p.m. ET

What does it mean "to be Sprint 4G"?

It means you're innovative, super fast, and effectively bringing a tool that wireless users have been waiting for - and most importantly, need. 

That's what Florida is.

First there was Jacksonville. Daytona was next. Starting today, we have Orlando. Later this year, we'll add Tampa and Miami.

If you're a Florida resident with an EVO 4G, Epic 4G or Overdrive, and happen to live in a current or soon-to-be Sprint 4G market, share your thoughts and questions in the comment section below about the service, how you've been using it, or what you hope to do with Sprint 4G once it's launched.

We want to hear from you...

Image and Video Courtesy of www.Weather.com

....You'll find Mark Sudduth of HurricaneTrack.com and the Hurricane Intercept Research Team.

They're not just hurricane chasers.

They're mobile weather forecasters and data experts that specialize in tropical storm and hurricane events.

Since 2001, Sprint has worked Mark and his meterological loving colleagues in their efforts to provide up-to-the-minute hurricane information to residents along the Altantic coast - providing Sprint 3G and 4G mobile devices for live video streams, web cam interviews, and instant online reporting of a storm when it makes landfall and beyond.

As we reach the peak of the 2010 Atlantic Hurricane Season, the Weather Channel is beefing up its coverage of these sometimes unpredictable and merciless storm systems by interviewing seasoned-weather pros like Mark.

Follow them on Twitter and visit their Web site. They have more than 30 named storms under their belt, including Hurricanes Katrina... These guys know what they're talking about.

Sprint thanks Mark and his team for all that they do. See you guys at the next big storm!