Wireless carrier Sprint Nextel announced today that it delivered enhanced push-to-talk services to the Iowa and Illinois Nextel Direct Connect subscribers. According to the company, the availability of the improved services is part of its aim to expand that of its push-to-talk capabilities in Iowa and Illinois, including the Quad Cities and central Illinois. The new expansion follows the launch of the services in the Saginaw, Michigan market, it added.

The carrier also announced that the new service would offer users in the area the possibility to connect to other Nextel Direct Connect subscribers in no time. Moreover, it enables multiple users to connect at the same time, over the same push-to-talk network. Not to mention that a wide range of push-to-talk phones, are also available for its users, including rugged devices that prove great options when in challenging environments.

“We’re thrilled to offer push-to-talk users in Iowa and Illinois a solution that provides a larger voice calling area, improved call quality and faster data transfer,” said William Derrick, General Manager at iPCS Wireless, the Sprint PCS affiliate in Iowa and Illinois. “The ability to instantly connect and collaborate with the largest push-to-talk community in the world is crucial for effective businesses communications, and Sprint leads the country in this capability.”

Depending on the Nextel Direct Connect device one would choose, users can enjoy various features with the new service, including:
- DC Missed Call Notifications: notifications on missed Direct Connect call, Call Alert or Group call
- TeamDCSM: with the possibility to create groups of up to 34 other users online
- Sprint Mobile Sync: create, manage and backup contacts and groups online
- Single Number Option: one number for all your cell and Nextel Direct Connect calls.

The handsets that Sprint retail stores in Iowa and Illinois currently offer to users, and which enable them make to Direct Connect calls, include:
- PRO-700 by Sanyo, a clamshell that has been certified Military Spec (810F) for dust, shock, and vibration, and which features Bluetooth connectivity, GPS Navigation and Group Connect;
- Motorola Renegade V950, another clamshell, that can be used in any environment, and which provides users with a 2.0-megapixel camera with video recording, Bluetooth and GPS capabilities.