Following the completion of its spectrum deal with U.S. Cellular back in May, Sprint today announced that it's on track to begin shutting down portions of the U.S. Cellular network on Oct. 31. The big yellow carrier will be decommissioning parts of U.S. Cellular's coverage in the St. Louis metropolitan area, including parts of Missouri and Illinois. Once the network is shut down, Sprint plans to reuse the spectrum to enhance its own coverage.
Sprint began notifying customers in the affected area in June. Consumers that are affected by the shutdown can port their phone number to another carrier, and Sprint says that it's currently extending special offers to U.S. Cellular customers such as free activation, a $50 credit and a discount of up to $100 on a new handset. U.S. Cellular prepaid users can take advantage of similar deals on a new Boost Mobile device.
A network shutdown isn't exactly the most exciting thing to experience in wireless, and so it's good to see that Sprint has some deals in store for both U.S. Cellular's postpaid and prepaid customers that are affected. Meanwhile, Sprint customers in the St. Louis metropolitan area have some improved coverage to look forward to. Sprint's full announcement, which includes details on how U.S. Cellular customers can take advantage of Sprint's special offers, is available at the link below.
