In the widely used cellular protocol known as code divisionmultipleaccess, or CDMA, data are chopped up into dozens of small, duplicate data packets and blasted out over a range of frequencies.
Sprint uses code divisionmultipleaccess technology, or CDMA, in its cellular networks, while Nextel uses Motorola 's (nyse: MOT - news - people ) iDEN hardware.
Due to its strong patent position, it also collects fees from 195 licensees, spanning most of the cell-phone industry for code-division, multiple-access technology, which is the standard communications technology in cellular networks.