Sprint's Local Spinoff to be Named "EMBARQ"

Sprint Nextel's local communications company, which is expected to be spin-out from the parent company in Q2 2006, will be called "EMBARQ".



EMBARQ expects to trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol "EQ". A key partner in the development of the brand strategy, name and logo was SALT Branding, based in San Francisco.




EMBARQ is expected to have approximately $6 billion in annual revenues, rank among the Fortune 500 and serve as the fifth largest local communications company in the United States based on the company's 7.4 million access lines as of Sept. 30, 2005. The company will provide a suite of communications services, consisting of local and long distance voice and data services, including high-speed Internet access. The company expects to have approximately 20,000 employees at the time of the separation from Sprint Nextel.



"The company's new name, EMBARQ, and logo are meant to signal the way we will do business and establish what a next-generation local communications company can be," said Daniel R. Hesse, the company's designated CEO.

http://www.sprint.comhttp://www.embarq.com