Later today, Sprint will finally shut down its iDEN network, making room for a wider launch of LTE. No longer will you be able to push-to-talk using your old iDEN device with Sprint suggesting users to pick-up some CDMA Direct Connect phone, instead. Even 911 calls won’t work as the network infrastructure is shutting down.
Sprint has been announcing this for quite some time. Starting 2012, visitors to the Now Network stores were no longer being able to buy an iDEN device.
At one time, iDEN was used by some 6 million subscribers many of whom were inherited when Sprint acquired Nextel, which is today officially going to history.
So if you still own an iDEN handset, it’s time to recycle it and get some more-modern device. There are push-to-talk phones available from a number of carriers — it’s just finding the one that works best for you.
[Via: TheVerge]