US number three player Sprint said that it will close its iDEN 2G network – the former Nextel infrastructure – “as early as 30 June 2013,” as part of its Network Vision modernisation project.

The operator has already said that it intends to close the network and migrate users to its CDMA network, following the launch of its Direct Connect push-to-talk service late last year – push-to-talk was the signature feature of its iDEN business.

The company intends using the 800MHz frequencies freed-up by the iDEN switch-off for the rollout of an LTE network, having received the green-light from the US Federal Communications Commission earlier this week to follow this path.

Restrictions on the use of the 800MHz band have been removed to support its use for 3G and 4G technologies, with Sprint previously having stated that the spectrum will be used to improve its geographic coverage profile.

Sprint said it will begin informing its iDEN customers of the plan from 1 June 2012, supported by “favourable offers” designed to encourage migration to CDMA/Direct Connect.

The operator has already ended sales of iDEN devices through some channels, and will discontinue availability fully “over the next several months.”

Separately, Sprint said it had secured a US$1 billion credit facility with Deutsche Bank and others to finance equipment purchases from Ericsson, as part of Network Vision.