teleguy
Enthusiast
Apr 13, 2005, 10:42 AM
Post #1 of 1
(652 views)
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Until now, wireless companies had an "oh well it's wireless, whaddya expect" stance when discussing dropped calls and network outages.
Sprint turns this attitude on it's head with bona fide financial commitments to perform.
What do you think about the wireless industry past versus it's future where real performance is concerned? When we pick up a landline phone, we take for granted a dial tone will be there. Will the future of wireless hold the same certainty? As kids say "Are we there yet?"
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Sprint Announces Industry First: Wireless Data Service Level Agreements for Business Customers
Sprint backs its network with industry-leading performance commitments
Media Contact:
Amy Schiska-Lombard, 913-794-2947
amy.k.schiska@mail.sprint.com
OVERLAND PARK, Kan., and NEW ORLEANS (CTIA 2005) — 03/14/2005
Sprint (NYSE: FON) today announced a precedent-setting industry first: performance commitments for its business customers in the way of nationwide wireless data Service Level Agreements (SLAs).
The SLAs back the performance of Sprint's wireless network - unlike its competitors' - with credits to businesses with corporate-sponsored (or company-paid) wireless subscribers. The SLAs provide performance metrics based on dropped data sessions, blocked data sessions and data network availability.
The new SLAs - in conjunction with previously announced wireless voice SLAs - are a key component of Sprint's strategy to erase the artificial barriers between wireless and wireline solutions and encourage greater wireless data usage among business customers.
"By making businesses as comfortable with the performance of their wireless networks as they are on the wireline side, we can deliver the predictability and control they need for their wireless communications," said Kathy Walker, executive vice president - Network Services, Sprint. "In turn, this will help encourage greater use of wireless for both voice and data. Sprint is confident in our network and the ability to perform at world-class levels. As with our wireless voice SLAs, we're putting real teeth into this promise - credits back if we miss."
The new wireless data SLAs provide the following:
* Less than 2.00 percent data blocks - If the national average wireless data blocks for the Sprint-owned CDMA network is two percent or more during any month, then the customer may be eligible for a service credit of 10 percent of the monthly recurring charge for the wireless data services. A wireless data session is considered blocked if the user is unable to establish the wireless data session while within the coverage area defined in the SLA due to failure of the Sprint-owned CDMA Network. The coverage area does not currently include affiliate networks.
* Less than 1.00 percent data drops - If the national average for the wireless data drops for the Sprint-owned CDMA network is one percent or more during any month, then the customer may be eligible for a service credit of 10 percent of the monthly recurring charge for the wireless data services. A wireless data session is considered dropped if the user experiences an uninitiated termination of a data service connection within the coverage area defined in the SLA. The coverage area does not include affiliate networks, and EV-DO performance is not measured for this metric.
* 99.5 Percent Wireless Network Data Availability - If the national average wireless network data availability for the Sprint-owned CDMA network during any month is less than 99.5 percent, then the customer may be eligible for a service credit of 10 percent of the monthly recurring charge for the wireless data services. The availability of network elements used to support a data session determines the overall service availability. The coverage area does not currently include affiliate networks.
The introduction of wireless data SLAs helps build on Sprint's strategy to encourage business adoption of wireless and eliminate the artificial line between wireless and wireline services by developing integrated solutions. Along with the Sprint Extended Workplace and Sprint Managed Mobility Services (also announced today), these announcements highlight Sprint's focus on the high-growth wireless area of its business, in addition to Internet-based services and multiproduct bundles. These new services continue a series of "firsts" by Sprint for business customers. Last year, for example, Sprint became the first wireless provider to offer a nationwide Service Level Agreement on its wireless voices services and the first to transmit commercial traffic at 40 Gbps on an IP data network.
Sprint Wireless Data SLAs also complement Sprint's eventual deployment of broadband EV-DO (Evolution Data Optimized) technology across its wireless network. EV-DO will accelerate wireless data speeds up to 10 times faster than on today's network, enabling LAN-like access to critical information.
Sprint's wireless data SLAs demonstrate the focus the company has recently placed on the customer experience. Sprint created these SLAs to address feedback it received directly from customers. Sprint will make its performance against these metrics available to customers in order to facilitate easy, efficient management. There are exceptions to the SLAs in certain circumstances, such as natural disasters and force majeure events.
from http://www2.sprint.com/mr/news_dtl.do?id=5900
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