Sprint hangs up on traditional long distance service

Sprint Corp., the Overland Park-based wireless company, is hanging up on traditional long distance service it provides to consumers.

The company notified customers this week that they will lose their long distance phone service, the kind that uses phone lines, in mid-September. It urges them to seek out alternative service and also suggested alternatives such as a cellphone.

Cutting off the service requires federal approval, which Sprint sought Friday in an application with the Federal Communications Commission. It said Sprint’s request will be granted automatically in 31 days unless the federal agency intervenes.

A Sprint official said Friday that the company will continue offering businesses long distance service.

Sprint’s application said “changing market conditions” prompted its request to drop the service. Companies have been losing traditional long distance customers as cellphones have become commonplace.

The company’s filing also argued that its customers would not suffer “material harm” because they can find other service. Federal officials previously allowed Sprint to stop accepting new long distance customers in January.

Long distance phone service and some related services Sprint also will drop are part of its smaller “wireline” business. Wireline revenues totaled $2.8 billion in the company’s fiscal year that ended March 31, including $1.17 billion in voice wireline revenues.

Sprint’s wireless revenues totaled $32.3 billion.

This story was originally published June 19, 2015 at 5:41 PM with the headline "Sprint hangs up on traditional long distance service."