March 1, 2006

Sprint announced today that government agencies now have more choice and flexibility for their security, messaging and data communications needs through Sprint's FTS2001 contract.

The General Services Administration (GSA) awarded Sprint a modification to enhance Sprint's FTS2001 contract effective Dec. 23, 2005, to include:

-- Multi-Protocol Labeling Switching (MPLS) Virtual Private Network (VPN) Over Peerless Internet Protocol (PIP) - a network-based solution over a peerless IP backbone that is segregated from the public Internet

-- GoodLink - a secure, FIPS-certified wireless messaging and data access system

"In today's increasingly fast-paced, security-focused world, Sprint is dedicated to providing U.S. government agencies with access to secure, reliable communications when they need it, wherever they need it," said Tony D'Agata, vice president of federal government for Sprint. "These enhancements provide a tangible, affordable way for federal agencies to keep connected in a secure manner in order to perform their jobs and meet their critical requirements."

Sprint's Peerless IP Network is a network-based solution that is secure, scalable and cost effective. Sprint offers government agencies unique solutions over its Peerless IP network, leveraging the same technical architecture as the industry-leading SprintLink IP backbone while removing connectivity to the public Internet. The service is available throughout the continental United States at T1 through OC-12 speeds.

"Many agencies that have been concerned about IP security previously had taken advantage of our Peerless IP through GSA's customized modification process," D'Agata added. "This blanket modification process to the FTS2001 will hopefully facilitate transition to the Networx contract should we be successful."

GoodLink provides secure mobile access to agency e-mail, attachments, calendars, contacts, notes and tasks. Goodlink also offers continuous two-way real time synchronization to ensure that changes on handheld devices are automatically synchronized with a user's desktop and vice versa. GoodLink currently supports the Palm(R) Treo and Microsoft Windows Mobile Pocket PCs. The service offers end-to-end encryption, remote handheld erase, Advanced Encryption Standard (AES), Triple-Data Encryption Standard (DES) encryption with VeriSign(R) security and Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) 140-2 certification.

In addition, Sprint's FTS2001 contract modification provides lower service initiation charges for some existing wireless access devices and defines service initiation charges for new forms of wireless access devices.

Sprint was awarded the FTS2001 contract in 1998. The GSA Federal Technology Service (FTS) contract offers federal agencies wireline and wireless communications services from Sprint, including voice, data and video, at a competitive price to help provide faster, more secure, collaborative communications between agencies, with businesses and with consumers.