"This agreement is great news for our iDEN customers, " said Bob Azzi, senior vice president of Network, Sprint.

ENGADGET: Sprint inks another three years' worth of iDEN infrastructure support with Motorola, 'several' new phones coming in Q1

"Today more Americans are using smartphones and tablets to consume entertainment, GPS and applications than ever before, " said Bob Azzi, senior vice president-Network, Sprint.

ENGADGET: Sprint brings LTE to 21 markets, details plans for 34 more

"In an LTE world, you have a single common standard that is being fairly widely adopted across the globe, " said Sprint network chief Bob Azzi.

WSJ: U.S. Wireless Carriers Move to New Technology��For Voice

Sprint network chief Bob Azzi said his crews were working feverishly to improve service in New York despite multiple obstacles, including difficulties getting into Manhattan and trouble accessing rooftop antennas.

WSJ: Outages Expose Wireless Carriers' Backup Plans

"Sprint and our vendors have been deploying Network Vision sites all across the country for the last several months and we are thrilled to deliver our new network to our customers today in and around Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, San Antonio and Waco, " said Bob Azzi, senior vice president-Network, Sprint.

ENGADGET: PSA: Sprint LTE goes live today, honest and for true (update: includes Missouri)