And I'm betting that if they had really wanted to, Sprint could have included iDEN capability in their new, whizbang "Network Vision" system. After all, if the new network gear is so smart & so flexible that it can be reconfigured between CDMA & LTE on the fly with just software updates, it seems like they should have been able to keep a small slice of the resources for true iDEN-based, radio-dispatched PTT.

Sure, all of the data & voice can and should be handled by the CDMA and upcoming LTE VOIP-based channels, but I do wonder if they couldn't have dedicated a comparatively small amount of bandwidth & computer in each tower to be hooked up like iDEN is (i.e. bypassing the PSTN) to provide genuine radio dispatch for the PTT calls. I know for a fact that Motorola has continued developing iDEN to be a more efficient system, and I'm sure Moto would have gladly worked with Sprint/Ericsson/whoever to integrate iDEN-like, radio-dispatch PTT into the new "Network Vision". You know, maybe just 3-5% of each tower's resources and a separate T1-type line that PTT would use.

Given that Nextel customers still represent roughly 15% of Sprint's customer base, dedicating a few percent of Network Vision to true radio-dispatch PTT is not too much to ask.

Sigh...