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Nextel Announces Another Industry First for Walkie-Talkie Technology

RESTON, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 4, 2004--Nextel Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ:NXTL):

  • Nextel Launches World's Largest Multinational Walkie-Talkie Service through Partnership with NII Holdings and TELUS Mobility

  • Push To Talk(SM) and Data Services Are Now Available to Nextel Customers between the United States, Brazil, Argentina and Peru as well as between the United States and Canada

  • Mexico Availability Slated for Summer

Nextel Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: NXTL), in partnership with NII Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: NIHD) and TELUS Mobility, a subsidiary of TELUS Corporation (TSX: T, T.A; NYSE: TU), today announced the availability of International Direct Connect(SM) walkie-talkie service. This service provides under-a-second digital walkie-talkie connections between the United States, Brazil, Argentina and Peru as well as between the United States and Canada. Nextel U.S. subscribers traveling in these countries can now also benefit from data services, including BlackBerry(R) and mobile e-mail, two-way messaging and wireless Web access. Nextel and NII Holdings also plan to launch International Direct Connect service in Mexico this summer.

"Nextel is taking instant walkie-talkie service beyond international borders with ranges of 7,000 miles. International Direct Connect is nothing short of a wireless industry milestone," said Tom Kelly, executive vice president and COO, Nextel. "International Direct Connect walkie-talkie service is especially appealing to our customers who conduct cross-border business in critical regions such as Canada, which is the United States' largest trading partner, in industries such as transportation, financial services and manufacturing. It is also of particular interest to our Spanish-speaking subscribers with ties to Latin America."

International Direct Connect walkie-talkie service provides the same exceptional performance as Nextel's Nationwide Direct Connect( SM) walkie-talkie service with connection speeds under one second. It is an expansion of Nextel's current coverage in northern Baja California, Mexico, which launched with NII Holdings in September 2003, making Nextel the only cellular provider in the United States to offer cross-border walkie-talkie service. In 1992, Nextel was the first cellular service provider in the United States to offer digital walkie-talkie service.

With International Direct Connect walkie-talkie service, Nextel subscribers can seamlessly send and receive walkie-talkie calls:

  • in the United States, Brazil, Argentina and Peru - wherever Nextel or NII Holdings has coverage - with Nextel or NII Holdings subscribers, or

  • in the United States or Canada - wherever Nextel or TELUS Mobility has coverage - with Nextel or TELUS Mobility subscribers.

Nextel subscribers can now also use select data services:

  • in the United States, Brazil, Argentina and Peru - wherever Nextel or NII Holdings has coverage - with other Nextel subscribers, or

  • in the United States or Canada - wherever Nextel or TELUS Mobility has coverage - with Nextel or TELUS Mobility subscribers.

For example, a Nextel subscriber working remotely in Brazil can now have a walkie-talkie conversation with a Nextel subscriber visiting an office in Argentina. Or a Nextel subscriber living in the United States can send and receive messages on their Nextel BlackBerry while visiting Canada.

Additionally, NII Holdings subscribers can now send and receive walkie-talkie calls with NII Holdings or Nextel subscribers in NII coverage areas in Brazil, Argentina and Peru or in Nextel coverage areas. TELUS Mobility subscribers can send and receive walkie-talkie calls and select data services with TELUS Mobility or Nextel subscribers anywhere in TELUS Mobility or Nextel coverage areas. Subscribers of Nextel, NII Holdings and TELUS Mobility can already send and receive regular cellular calls in each other's coverage areas (international calling activation may apply).

More than 90 percent of Nextel customers have enabled Nationwide Direct Connect walkie-talkie service on their accounts. Nationwide Direct Connect, which has been available in all markets served by Nextel and Nextel Partners for almost a year, allows users to connect coast-to-coast in under one second.

Nextel, NII Holdings and TELUS Mobility operate on Motorola's iDEN (integrated Digital Enhanced Network) technology, which provides superior digital voice quality, security, reception and reliability.

About Nextel

Nextel Communications, a FORTUNE 200 company based in Reston, Va., is a leading provider of fully integrated wireless communications services and has built the largest guaranteed all-digital wireless network in the country covering thousands of communities across the United States. Today 95 percent of FORTUNE 500(R) companies are Nextel customers. Nextel and Nextel Partners, Inc. currently serve 294 of the top 300 U.S. markets where approximately 251 million people live or work.

About NII Holdings

NII Holdings, Inc., a publicly held company based in Reston, Va., is a leading provider of mobile communications for business customers in Latin America. NII Holdings, Inc. has operations in Argentina, Brazil, Mexico and Peru, offering a fully integrated wireless communications tool with digital cellular service, text/numeric paging, wireless Internet access and Nextel Direct Connect(R), a digital two-way radio feature. NII Holdings, Inc. trades on the NASDAQ market under the symbol NIHD. Visit the Company's website at http://www.nii.com.

About TELUS Mobility

TELUS Mobility, a subsidiary of TELUS, provides its more than 3 million clients across Canada with a full suite of wireless voice, Internet and data services through its PCS and Mike digital wireless networks. Together with Spotnik Mobile, TELUS Mobility is building a national network of Hotspots in premium locations such as transportation facilities, hotels, conference centers, commercial properties and cafes. For more about TELUS Mobility products please visit TELUSMobility.com.

TELUS (TSX: T, T.A; NYSE: TU) is the largest telecommunications company in Western Canada and the second largest in the country, with over $7 billion of annual revenue, 4.9 million network access lines and 3.3 million wireless subscribers. The company provides subscribers with a full range of telecommunications products and services including data, voice and wireless services across Canada, utilizing next generation internet-protocol-based network technologies. TELUS was a premier founding supporter of the successful bid to bring the 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games to Canada.

About Nextel Partners

Nextel Partners, Inc., (Nasdaq:NXTP), based in Kirkland, Wash., has the exclusive right to provide digital wireless communications services using the Nextel brand name in mid-sized and rural markets in 31 states where approximately 53 million people reside. Nextel Partners offers its customers the same fully integrated, digital wireless communications services available from Nextel Communications (Nextel), including Nationwide Direct Connect(SM), cellular voice, cellular wireless Internet access and short messaging, all in a single wireless phone. Nextel Partners customers can seamlessly access these services anywhere on Nextel's or Nextel Partners' all-digital wireless network, which currently covers 294 of the top 300 U.S. markets. To learn more about Nextel Partners, visit www.nextelpartners.com.

CONTACT: Nextel Communications, Inc.
Media Contact:
Aaron Radelet, 703-433-8246
Investor Contact:
Paul Blalock, 703-433-4300

SOURCE: Nextel Communications, Inc.