Claure Takes on Miami

Sprint CEO Marcelo Claure met with Miami, Florida, Mayor Carlos Gimenez earlier this week, according to the Miami Herald. Despite speculation, Claure was not there to discuss the Miami soccer stadium he wants to secure for David Beckham; Claure is one of Beckham’s financial partners. The CEO pitched the city officials on expanding the carrier’s network throughout the South Florida town. “I don’t know what you guys are here for, but it was not about soccer,” Deputy Mayor Jack Osterholt told Miami Herald reporters shortly after leaving the 7:30 a.m. meeting. “The Sprint initiative will begin in Miami, and Claure already met with city officials on the plan. Claure wants city and county officials to expedite permitting and give Sprint access to government-owned buildings for some of the transmitters for the $75 million initiative, which would bring about 800 new cellular transmitters throughout the county during the next 18 months,” the news outlet reported. Miami was selected as one of the roll-out cities for its improved network, which will use small transmitters on existing structures with 150-monopoles to improve connectivity in the area. “It’s a pretty incredible project, from what I’m being told,” said Michael Hernández, Gimenez’s communications director told the Miami Herald. . “In addition to improving their network, it’s also adding jobs in the area because you need the infrastructure and the workers to do that.” Sprint said that the project would create 125 jobs to install the transmitters, and another 100 jobs would come from the retail stores they are planning to add.