yeah, but half of sprint nextel is actually GSM TDMA!!! So, how much was the older NEXTEL piece? Maybe, 20m

I doubt the GSM org. considers Sprint to be a GSM operator...

These are the only operators that are part of the GSM Association:

http://www.gsmworld.com/roaming/gsminfo/cou_us.shtml

To me GSM means you can use a GSM handheld on the network either on 850/900/1800 or 1900.

nextel
 

it was the nextel side, they used GSM, SIMS and technology since 2001.

Uh, no. Sims yes, but even Iridium and Globalstar used SIM cards. But GSM technology? no. The only thing it shares with GSM is that it is based on TDMA. But iDen is most certainly not a GSM technology. Anyhow; there is a chance iDen in the US will be pretty much phased out by 2010 anyway.

CTIA.ORG

"GSM is also the basis for Integrated Digital Enhanced Network (iDEN), a popular system introduced by Motorola and used by Nextel. "

They missed out one word there: PRE. iDen is based off PRE-GSM technologies (TDMA).

If iDen really was based off GSM we'd see more hybrid GSM/iDen phones, but motorola only made one or two of those, and they required totally seperate radios.

maybe marketing
 

maybe it was marketing and the relationship, and stock ownership that motorola had with NEXTEL that kept the iDen phones and technology solely in the hards of NEXTEL, trying to create some real barriers to entry for other carriers in this country and Canada.

Certainly the PTT componant of iDen was a key differentiator for NXTL and allowed them to get the rich business user. NXTL had the highest RPU in the industry up till about 2003-2004, by about 20%.

Alas, the phones SUCKED! were big, bulky, didn't take well to having cameras (not my interest!) slapped onto them and were late to add data features.

But as for their PTT componant they ruled the world.