Sprint Illuminates Milwaukee with Hundreds of Network Enhancements, 38 New Stores and Sprint’s 1Million Project to Connect Milwaukee Public Schools Students

Expectation of 200 jobs to support new retail stores

2,800 Students at 25 high schools will be first in Wisconsin to receive free devices and connectivity to help close the “Homework Gap”

MILWAUKEE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sprint (NYSE:S) shows major love to Milwaukee by making three major announcements today:

1. Network: Unveiling one of its plans of densifying the network by adding hundreds of network enhancements using some of the most advanced technologies in wireless.
2. Retail & Job Expansion: Adding 38 Sprint and Boost Mobile stores in Milwaukee-area and adding 200 new jobs by the end of 2018.
3. 1Million Project: 2,800 Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) students will receive either a free smartphone, hotspot or tablet, and free high-speed wireless internet connectivity in an effort to help close the “Homework Gap.”

"I’m truly grateful for Sprint’s incredible commitment to Milwaukee," Mayor Tom Barrett said. "With this exciting expansion and economic growth in our City, Sprint is providing Milwaukeeans with family-supporting jobs while enhancing the educational experience for the workforce of tomorrow. Thank you, Sprint for your positive corporate partnership."

Bigger, Better Signal and Capacity in Milwaukee than before
Data usage by Sprint customers has increased more than 967% in the last five years in Milwaukee. To meet this increased demand, Sprint has expanded its toolbox of network solutions to include Sprint Magic Box, outdoor small cells, High Performance User Equipment (HPUE) and three-channel carrier aggregation in Milwaukee.

The latest technology innovation yet – The Sprint Magic Box, the world’s first all – wireless small cell, is a revolutionary new plug–and–play LTE small cell for businesses and consumers that dramatically improves data coverage and increases download and upload speeds on average by 200 percent.¹

Sprint designed the Sprint Magic Box so that customers in the surrounding areas will also enjoy the benefits of the locally installed unit. One Sprint Magic Box provides average coverage of 30,000 square feet indoors and can benefit adjacent Sprint customers inside the building. The signal can also extend coverage 100 meters outside a building, benefiting Sprint customers in nearby buildings and improving street–level network performance.

Sprint Magic Box is free to qualifying businesses and consumers.

Retail Expansion
Sprint is continuously increasing its footprint to meet customer demands! Sprint is adding 38 new Sprint and Boost Mobile stores in the city and surrounding suburbs like Pleasant Prairie and Franklin throughout 2017 and 2018.

“Every month, we’re gaining on the competition and growing our base of customers, and we couldn’t be more excited,” said Jim Mills, Sprint President of Illinois and Wisconsin. “With this significant growth, we knew we had to add more Sprint and Boost Mobile stores for both our postpaid and prepaid customers. Milwaukeeans are seeing our network and customer care improvements, as well as seeing how Sprint positively impacts the community by giving back and partnering up with Milwaukee Public Schools.”

Milwaukee residents interested in applying for open positions should visit www.sprint.com/jobs.

1Million Project
Through Sprint’s 1Million Project, beginning with the 2017-2018 school year, 2,800 students at 25 MPS high schools will receive either a free smartphone, tablet, or hotspot device and 3GB of high-speed LTE data per month for up to four years while they are in high school. Unlimited data is available at 2G speeds if usage exceeds 3GB in a month. Those who receive a smartphone can use it as a hotspot.

The participating MPS high schools are:

• Alliance School
• Audubon High School
• Bay View High School
• Bradley Tech
• Groppi High School
• Hamilton High School
• MacDowell Montessori
• Madison Academic High School
• Marshall High School
• Meir School
• Milwaukee High School of Arts
• Milwaukee School of Languages
• North High School
• Obama School of Career & Tech Ed
• Project Stay H High School
• Pulaski High School
• Reagan High School
• Riverside University High School
• Rufus King High School
• South Division High School
• Transition High School
• Vincent High School
• Washington High School
• Webster
• Wisconsin Conservatory of Lifelong Learning

MPS will join hundreds of high schools for the nationwide rollout beginning this fall. Over the course of the next five years, one million high school students will join the program and receive a wireless device and service for up to four years in high school.

“Milwaukee Public Schools is thrilled to be a part of the Sprint 1Million Project,” said Dr. Darienne Driver, MPS Superintendent. “This program provides our students with the opportunity to learn anywhere and at any time, closing the digital divide with access to the internet and software helps students to achieve, inside and out of the classroom. Possibilities are broadened for students who may not have had access to technology, which is essential in a 21st Century learning community.”

Anyone looking to support the program can visit www.sprint.com/give1mp or text GIVE to 60603 to make a cash donation.² Used mobile devices can also be donated in Sprint stores or online.³ Devices will be recycled or resold with net proceeds benefiting the 1Million Project. Visit www.sprint.com/1millionproject for more information, and follow and support the program on social media by using the hashtag #1MillionProject.

About Sprint:

Sprint (NYSE: S) is a communications services company that creates more and better ways to connect its customers to the things they care about most. Sprint served 59.7 million connections as of March 31, 2017 and is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying innovative technologies, including the first wireless 4G service from a national carrier in the United States; leading no-contract brands including Virgin Mobile USA, Boost Mobile, and Assurance Wireless; instant national and international push-to-talk capabilities; and a global Tier 1 Internet backbone. Sprint has been named to the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) North America for the past five years. You can learn more and visit Sprint at www.sprint.com or www.facebook.com/sprint and www.twitter.com/sprint.

¹ Signal and speeds based on optimal conditions for most Sprint devices.
² Cash donations for the 1Million Project are tax-deductible charitable contributions to the Sprint Foundation.
³ Device donations are not tax deductible. Net proceeds from reselling/recycling donated devices or $1 per device, whichever is greater, will be donated to the program.