Exhibit 99.1
Dear Clearwire and XOHM Team Members,
I want to extend hearty congratulations to our partners at XOHM for the launch of the first major
mobile WiMAX deployment in the United States. This is clearly an historic event for our industry.
We will look back at this milestone not only for its significance in commercializing the fantastic
capabilities of mobile WiMAX technology, our deep spectrum resources and an all-IP network, but
also for the unparalleled speeds we expect our network will provide customers on a mobile basis
with solid in-building penetration and broad coverage.
This launch is a significant step toward our goal of providing people a true broadband experience
both at home and on the road and creating an entirely new business model for communications
services in this country. We are committed to delivering a simple, indispensible and enjoyable
customer experience that allows customers to choose the device, content, services and applications
they want — all at a better value made possible by the innovation and low cost structure that we
are employing.
So keep up the good work, and let’s continue to make history as we work together to prepare our
next mobile WiMAX markets for launch. The opportunities that lie before us are extraordinary.
I would also like to provide you with a brief update on the status of the combination of our
companies and the investment by Intel, Google, Comcast, Time Warner Cable and Bright House
Networks. Last week we filed the second amendment to the Clearwire Proxy Statement with the SEC.
We expect to be able to mail the Proxy shortly and hold the shareholder vote in mid-November.
With respect to approval of the transaction by the FCC, you may have seen Chairman Martin’s recent
comments in which he indicated that approving our transaction was one of his top priorities, and
that he expected the approval to occur before year end, although we
are making every effort in the hope of having the FCC
act well before then. As a result, I continue to be confident that the transaction will close
before the end of the year.
Clearly the infusion of $3.2 billion of capital together with the tremendous talent, resources and
benefits to our combined organization brought through the relationships with our new strategic
partners puts us in great shape for moving forward with our game changing business, notwithstanding
the current turmoil in the financial markets.
Finally, I am pleased to announce the following senior leadership appointments for the new
Clearwire:
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Team |
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Appointment |
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Area of Leadership |
Barry West
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Ali Tabassi
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WiMAX Ecosystem and Standards |
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John Saw
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Ali Afrashteh
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WiMAX Development |
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Greg Jones
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IT — Core Development |
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Atish Gude
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Don Stroberg
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Pricing, Channel & Field
Marketing Programs |
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Rick Robinson
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Web Marketing and Customer
Quality Assurance |
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Peter Cannistra
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Market Development |
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Perry Satterlee
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Doug Smith
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Network Engineering & Deployment
- Eastern US |
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Magnus Ojert
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Network Deployment — Eastern US |
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Eamon O’Leary
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Network Engineering — Western US |
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John Storch
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Network Deployment — Western US |
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Jim Ryder
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Sales — Company Owned Distribution |
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Philip Gaske
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Customer Care |
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Jeff Pearson
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IT — Operations |
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Mark Fanning
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People Development |
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CEO
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Hope Cochran
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Finance, Planning & Treasury |
(pending CFO appointment)
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Bob DeLucia
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Accounting |
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Steve Ednie
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Tax and SOX |
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Mary Ekman
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Investor Relations |
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Susan Johnston
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Public Relations |
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Gerry Salemme
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Noelle Beams
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Spectrum Acquisition & Management |
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Terri Natoli
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Regulatory |
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Broady Hodder
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Ross Vincenti
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Legal |
Similar to the appointments announced earlier, these selections are subject to approval by the
Board of Directors of the new Clearwire.
Greg, Don, Rick and Peter have agreed to relocate to Kirkland. No other
leaders being named today are expected to change locations at this time.
Regarding groups not covered in this announcement, we anticipate making additional organizational
appointments in the coming weeks and will continue to provide other integration updates as
developments warrant.
The new Clearwire team is taking shape and I am pleased with the progress we are making toward our
goal of leveraging the talents of our respective teams. I look forward to working with these
leaders in demonstrating what is possible when great people come together with common purpose and
resolve.
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
Information in this email that involves expectations, plans, intentions or strategies regarding the
future are forward-looking statements that are not facts and involve a number of risks and
uncertainties. In this email they are identified by references to dates after the date of this
email and words such as “outlook,” “will,” “will be,” “remains,” “to be,” “plans,” “believes,”
“may,” “expects,” “intends,” “should,” “continue,” and similar expressions. Factors that could
cause actual future results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking
statements set forth in this email include, but are not limited to, the timing and successful
completion of the transactions described in this email (including the timing and receipt of
stockholder and regulatory approvals and the satisfaction of other closing conditions) and the
combined companies’ success in executing planned strategies.
Important Additional Information About This Transaction
In connection with the proposed transaction with Sprint Nextel Corporation (
“Sprint”), Clearwire
filed a proxy statement with the SEC. CLEARWIRE SHAREHOLDERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO READ THE PROXY
STATEMENT AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SEC AS THEY BECOME AVAILABLE, BECAUSE
THEY CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE MERGER AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS. The final proxy
statement/prospectus will be mailed to shareholders of Clearwire. Investors and security holders
will be able to obtain the documents free of charge at the SEC’s
web site,
www.sec.gov
<
http://www.sec.gov> , or by directing a request to Clearwire Investor Relations at
investorrelations@clearwire.com or (
425) 216-4735. In addition, investors and security holders may
access copies of the documents filed with the SEC by Clearwire on Clearwire’s
website at
www.clearwire.com <
http://www.clearwire.com> , when they become available.
Participants in Solicitation
Sprint, Clearwire and their respective directors and executive officers and other members of
management and employees may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies in respect
of the proposed transactions. Information concerning Sprint’s participants is set forth in the
proxy statement dated
March 27, 2008 for Sprint’s 2008 annual meeting of shareholders as filed with
the SEC on Schedule 14A. Information concerning Clearwire’s participants is set forth in the proxy
statement dated
April 29,
2008 for Clearwire’s annual meeting of stockholders as filed with the SEC on Schedule 14A.
Additional information regarding the interests of participants of Sprint and Clearwire in the
solicitation of proxies in respect of the proposed transactions is included in the registration
statement and proxy statement/prospectus contained therein, filed with the SEC. Once filed, those
documents are available free of charge at the
websites of the SEC and Clearwire.