The maverick wireless carrier has stayed out of vicious price-cutting wars by focusing on well-heeled business customers in love with its unique, walkie talkie-like service. As growth in that niche tapers, Nextel is latching onto no. 3 long-distance carrier Sprint in a pending $35 billion merger that will broaden offerings to business and consumer users.
Together, Nextel Sprint will be better able to fend off giant rivals, including Verizon and SBC, offering corporations one-stop shopping for wireless, basic phone service, and data communications. Meanwhile, Nextel has opened an unlikely new source of growth over the last year: young consumers with its hip Boost Mobile prepaid service.
All figures are for the most recent available 12 months.
* Latest available data for the 12-month period ended Dec. 31, Jan. 31, Feb. 29, Mar. 31, or Apr. 30. For companies that do not report quarterly, the most recent annual data were used.
Data provided by Standard & Poor's Compustat, BusinessWeek
Nextel Communications, Inc. provides wireless communications services in the United States. The company provides a suite of advanced wireless services that include digital wireless mobile telephone service; walkie-talkie features, including its Nextel Direct Connect, Nextel Nationwide Direct Connect, and Nextel International Direct Connect walkie-talkie features; and wireless data transmission services. The mobile telephone services consist of advanced digital features, such as speakerphones, additional line service, conference calling, voice-activated dialing for hands-free operation, a voice recorder for calls and memos, advanced phonebook, and date book tools. Its data services include email, mobile messaging, location-based, Nextel Online, and Multimedia Messaging services that enable its subscribers to exchange images and audio memos. Nextel Communications also offers handsets designed for local, state, and federal public safety and law enforcement agencies and organizations. As of December 31, 2004, the company provided service to approximately 16.2 million subscribers. It offers its services primarily to small, medium, and large businesses; government workers; and individuals through its sales force and indirect sales agents, which consist of local and national nonaffiliated dealers. The company was founded in 1987 under the name Fleet Call, Inc. and changed its name to Nextel Communications, Inc. in 1993. Nextel Communications is based in Reston, Virginia.
No. of Employees
NA
Data provided by
Timothy M. Donahue
Bio
Timothy M. Donahue has been Chief Executive Officer of Nextel Communications Inc., since August 1999 and President since January 1996 and previously served as its Chief Operating Officer from January 1996 until July 1999. Mr. Donahue has also been named by BusinessWeek as 'One of the Best Managers in 2002. From 1986 to January 1996, Mr. Donahue held various senior management positions with AT&T Wireless Services, Inc., including regional President for the northeast. Mr. Donahue started his career with AT&T Wireless Services (formerly McCaw Cellular Communications) in 1986 as President for McCaw Cellular's paging division. In 1989, he was named McCaw Cellular's President for the US central region. Mr. Donahue is the Chairman of the Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association (CTIA), the industry's largest and most respected association. He has been a Director of Nextel Communications Inc., since June 1996. He has been a Director of Nextel Partners Inc., since January 1999 and Eastman Kodak Co., since October 2001. Mr. Donahue served as a Director on the board of NII Holdings Inc., since November 12, 2002 until March 10, 2004 and served as Director from 1997 until April 22, 2002 and also served as Chairman from 1999 until 2001. He is a Graduate of John Carroll University with a BA in English Literature.
AGE: 56
Titles
Chief Executive Officer, President, Director and Member of Finance Committee
