Nextel today announced it received approval from its stockholders for the proposed merger with Sprint.

"The resounding stockholder support for this merger endorses the smart strategic rationale and the tremendous value creation opportunities before us," said William E. Conway, chairman of the board of Nextel. "It also recognizes a job well done by the Nextel executive team. With their dedication and vision, backed by the commitment of all Nextel employees, the company is poised to unite with Sprint and become America's premier telecommunications company."

786,848,210 of Nextel's outstanding shares of class A common stock, representing 71.3 percent of the outstanding shares, voted in favor of the proposal. The favorable vote represented 99.8 percent of the shares participating and voting at the meeting, demonstrating that the stockholders were overwhelmingly in favor of proceeding with the merger as provided for in the Agreement and Plan of Merger. The approval is an important step towards completion of the merger, which is expected to occur in the third quarter of 2005, pending regulatory approvals.

Stockholders also voted to elect three directors - Timothy M. Donahue, Frank M. Drendel and William E. Kennard, each for a three-year term, and ratified the appointment of Deloitte & Touche LLP as Nextel's independent registered accounting firm for 2005. Furthermore, shareholders adopted an Amended and Restated Incentive Equity Plan. All of the vote tallies are considered preliminary until certified by independent election inspectors.

At the meeting, Mr. Timothy Donahue, president and CEO of Nextel, provided stockholders with an overview on the industry and company, and an update on the merger approval and integration process.

"The wireless industry is strong. Nextel is steadily increasing its share of the market, and we continue to lead the industry in key performance metrics," said Donahue. "We look forward to quickly completing the merger approval process and carrying our strong operating momentum into the combined company."

The proposed merger-of-equals between Sprint and Nextel, which was announced on Dec. 15, 2004, is expected to close in the third quarter of 2005 pending regulatory approvals. After the completion of the merger, the combined company stock will trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol "S."

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