Letter to the editor: It’s hard to say final farewells to my old friend, Sprint
Growing pains
Farewell, Sprint, my childhood friend. I wasn’t present in your grade school years (the pin drop) as your playground was deploying fiber optic cable on right-of-way railroad paths winding throughout the United States — an expensive childhood toy with lifelong adult consequences. The depreciation alone drained your finances and profitability for many years.
No, I met you in your junior high years to watch you grow from a local phone provider to a nationwide fiber long-distance persona. I watched you risk being a small startup wireless segment called PCS and recall no one was sure you would amount to anything — especially the cool kids. And finally, proudly, I watched you graduate and become a wireless carrier despite experimenting with numerous recreational network platforms.
I admit I questioned your parenting (Bill Esrey, Gary Forsee, Dan Hesse) and I watched as you changed your name several times, perhaps trying to find your own identity and leave memories from home behind.
My fondest bookend childhood memories began with seeing you win the largest non-defense contract ever, a 10-year, $10 billion job split 60-40 between AT&T and Sprint, respectively. You became a major government contractor overnight. Also my first smartphone and unlimited plan. Amazing.
I was very sad to hear you passed away recently. Like many, I believe in the afterlife and assume you are in a better place. I will think of you often — mostly when I pay my wireless bill.
- James Loveridge, Olathe