Sprint today said it will invest $45 million in network infrastructure in Chicago over the next two years. The US wireless operator will also create more than 300 new jobs before the year-end.
Installation of new cell sites is part of the Capex program of Sprint, a telecom venture of SoftBank of Japan.
“Sprint’s investment means more jobs in our neighborhoods, and supports Chicago’s economic growth,” said Mayor Rahm Emanuel.
“New stores mean more jobs, and a first-class network means loyal and satisfied customers ready to use faster and more reliable connections,” said Marcelo Claure, Sprint CEO.
Chicago will be the first Sprint city upgraded to an even faster network with the deployment of LTE Advanced technologies. These faster speeds are expected to improve the performance of video and other bandwidth-intensive applications, including new generations of online gaming, virtual reality and advanced cloud services.
New cell sites will be located in neighborhoods throughout the city and include the areas around Rush University Medical Center, along Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) subway routes as part of the project to upgrade the wireless network in the City’s system, and areas surrounding Garfield Park.
Sprint is donating $250,000 to fund an expansion of the Connect Chicago Challenge – citywide effort to make Chicago the most skilled, most connected, most dynamic digital city in the world.
Wireless usage by Sprint customers in Chicago increased more than 640 percent from 2012. Sprint has invested more than $548 million to improve Chicago customers’ wireless experience. The company plans to add new cell sites to improve service and increase its retail investment with more than 46 new retail locations in 2015.
In the entire Chicagoland area – including suburbs such as Aurora, Rosemont, Schaumburg, Gurnee – Sprint plans to add over 540 jobs and will open more than 115 stores. These jobs are expected to include retail, customer service, network and corporate.
