Several groups representing minorities backed a proposed merger b...

to excel in our economy.” Speaking for over 1 million Black-owned businesses, the group said Sprint and Nextel were “longtime partners in our community, so we are confident that Sprint Nextel will continue to serve and engage Black owned businesses as a merged company.” The chamber praised the carriers for “advancing diversity as well as providing equal opportunities and consumer choices in their business development.” Both firms had “exemplary policies regarding inclusive workplace training, procurement diversity and equal employment opportunity” the group said, calling its support “consistent with our mission.” Separately, the United South & Eastern Tribes (USET), representing 24 federally recognized Native American tribes, urged the FCC to give the Sprint-Nextel merger “positive consideration.” “USET tribes have a very positive working relationship with Sprint,” USET Exec. Dir. James Martin wrote in a letter to FCC Chmn. Martin and the other comrs. He said Sprint “consistently” reached out to tribes on telecom issues affecting tribal interests, including protection of tribal historic properties and provision of communications services to tribal communities. “Whether the discussion has been over the exact site of a tower in relationship to a sacred site or high-level policy discussions in Washington, Sprint has engaged in open and honest dialogue with tribal representatives, in many ways setting the standard for telecom industry relations with Indian tribes,” USET’s Martin said: “It is my belief that Sprint’s experience with Indian Country would be fully translated into the larger Sprint Nextel entity and that this would be a benefit to Indian Country interests nationwide.”