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Over the past week, I’ve been asking anyone who might have an answer what will happen to Sprint come June 26, this Thursday, when it has to abandon a portion of its airwaves. Last week, the company petitioned the FCC for an extension. On Friday it was granted. Sprint now has another 30 days to shove off.

A Sprint spokesman said the company was grateful for the deadline waiver. “We remain committed to completing the reconfiguration,” he told The Associated Press. “By granting this waiver the FCC will help promote the reconfiguration process while helping Sprint protect its service to its Nextel customers.”

The issue with the reconfiguration is that the FCC is not holding public safety entities to the same deadlines as Sprint. Some agencies do not have to vacate their spectrum until sometime next year, while Sprint has to give up theirs next month. One can only imagine what kind of damage this can to do a cell carrier, especially the third largest one in the nation.

It still sounds like a rocky road a head for Sprint Nextel. As much as we make fun of them, the cell industry would be far worse off without them there as a competitor.

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