nTelos and Sprint Upgrade Cell Sites Across the Country

In May 2014, Sprint and nTelos announced they would extend their Strategic Network Alliance (SNA) through 2020. Sprint customers gained access to nTelos’s recently launched 4G LTE network and nTelos has accessed Sprint’s 800 MHz, 1.9 GHz and 2.5 GHz spectrum. Jennifer Fritzsche, Senior Analyst at Wells Fargo, and her team hosted nTelos CFO, Steb Chandor, and SVP Finance, Craig Highland. Fritzsche reported that, “NTLS noted it will be building tri-band LTE (800MHz/1.9GHz/2.5GHz) in its Strategic Network Alliance (SNA) footprint, but not on every cell tower. We continue to believe NTLS will evaluate cell sites which make the most sense from a return standpoint (both based on its own customers’ and S traffic). The sooner NTLS completes the 4G network the better positioned it is to take advantage of the growth in data from both Sprint customers and its own subs. Management did acknowledge its main challenges in building the network faster is the structural loading capacity on the existing tower infrastructure and availability of contractor crews (common theme heard from many of our tower contacts.)” Sprint’s agreement with nTelos builds on initiatives announced in March by Sprint, the Competitive Carriers Association and NetAmerica Alliance that seek to accelerate the deployment of 4G LTE coverage throughout underserved American communities.