Strategic Perspectives

Well, first of all, kudos to reducing your electricity consumption overall, and on top of that using wind energy to supply 75% or so of your current energy requirements. It's not easy, but everything that all companies do should try to pose the least detrimental impact on the overall environment. For example, as great as solar energy is, creating solar panel cells actually causes far more pollution than it eliminates...so one must be careful about which solution really is best.

So, with that said, does it matter to the average consumer? In general, I'd say probably not. Maybe it's because consumers don't care, or maybe we just assume that most companies will actually try to do what they can to keep the environment as pollution free as possible. With that said, though, I think that society as a whole is becoming much more environmentally conscious and thus the importance of how "green" a company is will gain prominance. So, while it may not be very important to the majority of users today, it most surely will be at some point in the future.

Now, would it make sense for a company like SprintNextel to lease phones so that the company has a means to guarantee that the handsets are properly disposed of and/or recycled? While I personally have never been a fan of leasing, I can concede that there probably would be a market for it, esp for those handsets on the high end (e.g., Motorola i9 Cabo). Still, leasing only seems to make sense for those who wish to always have the latest and greatest handsets. Is there a business model that allows for such a leasing program to be profitable? I don't know. But I, for one, wouldn't be interested in leasing a phone. If I can afford it, I'll buy it. Otherwise, I'll just treat my current handset with the greatest care that I can once the warranty expires until I can afford a new phone down the road.

As another way to "go green", SprintNextel may wish to promote Nextel Direct Connect as the green alternative to voice calls. Wait...what?!? Yes, you heard me (err...read it) correctly. PTT is GREEN! Why? Well, historically, PTT calls tend to be far shorter in length than their voice call cousins. On top of it, half-duplex calls use up less energy than full-duplex ones, so PTT (a half-duplex call) would inherently use up LESS energy than their regular voice call (i.e., full-duplex), so that right there is a GREEN service.

Just my take on it. Keep up the green work.

Russ,

Yeah...sorry, I have a tendancy to go circular at times. Let me be more direct with my answer (I hope). Would I be willing to change the WAY I purchase wireless in order to have a more positive environmental impact? In a word: MAYBE. It all depends on what the options are. If the ONLY option is to lease the phone, then no. The way I see it, leasing a phone forces companies like SprintNextel to have manufacturers make even MORE phones. So what do we do with those phones that aren't being leased? We trash them? Recycle them? Well, don't we do that now already with the phones we sell anyway?

You gave the example of leasing. Well, I've never been a fan of leasing to begin with (be it for cars or phones). Historically, who leases? Those who cannot afford to actually make the investment into purchasing what they want. In other words, people whose eyes are bigger than their pocketbooks. I think leasing was and is a poorman's attempt at making money. In the end, everyone loses. It's only a matter of time.

Now, a better idea? Recycle and reuse. Would I be willing to turn in my old handset to SprintNextel so that I can get an even bigger discount on a new handset? You betcha. Would I be willing to take a "pre-owned" Motorola Cabo in order to avoid the higher MSRP? Depends on what the warranty was. Double the warranty or something, and I'd jump at it. So, that way higher end phones that people no longer want (but are still good enough to use) could be offered at lower "pre-owned" rates...and I think some of us (if not many of us) would probably be more apt to purchase such phones. That way, the phone has a multi-user cycle rather than a 6 month cycle and then get sent back for recycling.

So, which is better for the environment? Leasing a phone where the user gets a new phone every 6 months (if not sooner), or offering used phones at discounts with identical warranties (or something that makes it comparable to buying a brand new one)? The former way uses up ultimately MORE of our natural resources while the latter uses far less. To me, adopting the latter would make it far more likely that I would change the way I operate. And I think it would also allow for a 2nd revenue stream that SprintNextel could use.

Now...to go way off topic a bit...can we get SprintNextel convinced that offering an iDEN/WiMAX handset sometime BEFORE March, 2009 would be a smart and prudent thing?!? For instance, I'd be willing to purchase a handset TODAY that used iDEN for voice and ptt, and WiMAX for data (with the drop back to iDEN if WiMAX was not available in my location), and that's even though I know that the metro-Detroit area (where I'm from ) won't have WiMAX up and running probably until the end of 2009 or early 2010. And we don't have to make it iDEN exclusive. Offer CDMA/WiMAX too. Personally, I'd not only be willing to get the phone today, but also adopt a new rate plan (even if it's more expensive) in order to do so. Now, if a stingy, miserly, (enter your adjective here) like myself is willing to put up serious cash for such a device, WHY NOT OFFER IT?!? iDEN/WiMAX is what I believe Nextel customers ultimately will want (for the near future)...so, let's do what the slogan for this company says...to paraphrase..."iDEN/WiMAX. True Harmony. ONLY on the NOW Network!"

I'd have to say that it does influence it. Many other successful companies have leveraged this area competently to improve corporate image.

I do applaud the efforts to reduce energy- consumption- that is the only sensible thing to do.

However, I would not choose a wireless provider based on their "green" efforts. I choose them based on reliability and pricing. With the exception of the number of old handsets floating around, I don't really see a wireless provider (or a cable provider, etc.)as having a significant environmental impact (in comparison to an energy provider or a manufacturer).

While your social responsiblity effort is commendable, and certainly should be continued, the real effort should be on improving the wireless service and the customer service.

Personally, my household definitely supports using less energy, &consuming less material, i.e. reducing negative impact on the planet's natural systemsoverall. I am getting tired of the use of the horribly-overusedword "green" here, but the mindset itself is 110% valid.

Using the least possible amount ofenergy & materials in all endeavors is just good business, and regardless of one's personal beliefs orpolitical beliefs, respecting the natural systems which we all depend on for survival is theonly intelligent, responsible way to behave. It is a bonus when it makes economic sense as well, but the "use only the minimum necessary for the task" is the only reasonable mindset to have.

All things being equal, if company A is a responsible entity that respects & preserves our resources while company B is inconsiderate & wasteful, my household will absolutely support company A, and absolutely not support company B.

I concur with the comments from QJ & Tomas above WRT handset leasing. Leasing per se is rarely attractive or a good economic deal for the averageconsumer, but if the benefits overall as described by the other posters here are superior to outright purchase, then I would consider leasing of handsets over buying. But like QJ & Tomas, my gut instinct is to buy a handset, treat it well and get years of use from it, and happily turn it back to Sprint-Nextel if I recieve an additional incentive to do so when time for a new handset. Just Sprint-Nextel's guarantee to reuse or recycle my old hanset responsibly is a very strong incentive with me, but if I return it to a S-N store myself, I have also provided a value to Sprint-Nextel, so I would think an additional $20 off the price of my new handset purchase would be reasonable compensation for me returning it to S-N's hand.

BTW, I am not what the media would call a liberal nor a"tree-hugger". I am an engineer, a registered Republican, andI would describe myself politically as being a conservative moderate. Yet I do have completerespect forthe awesome bounty & beauty of this closed-system thatwe live in and refer to as "planet earth", and even as a business-oriented,logical thinker with decent scientific training and hard-core economic-tradeoff training as an engineer, I know for a fact that reducing waste, respecting naturalresources and consuming them wisely, and minimizing the creation oftoxic or noxious substances, makes pure, unadulterated good business sense, and makes our environs more pleasant for all. It costs waaaaaaay more to clean up a mess and restore the resource than it does to avoid negative impacts in the first place.

That said, businesses have to be able to remain solvent and produce a reasonable profit, and so the "radical tree hugger" mentality that embraces everything green and bashes everything corporate, and would completely tie the hands of private industry with "green" hemp rope,is a foolish, fringe mindset that ultimately offers no progress toward a reasonable, sustainable solution. Businesses must be responsible & intelligent and design their products & processes WRT the long-term sustainability and qualityof life for all inhabitantsof the planet (human, animal, plant), and consumers must do their part just as responsibly and with equal rigor and committment, and none of us can rightly expect perfection on thepart of either business or the consumer. But we all must act responsibly and respectfully of all the players.

Sprint-Nextel's full committment to being a good corporate citizen on all frontsis expected, and it is the price of doing business in the US. The minimumbar, as it were.Anything less than being a full-on good corporate citizen (environmentally, socially, etc) loses my business.