According to an article on Y! news, Sprint may be trying to sell Nextel, but not without hurdles. "Sprint faces pressure from the FCC to relinquish a key chunk of iDen wireless airwaves for emergency communications networks." To me that means, spin it off as a public-private safety network.
Although analysts suggest that Motorola has left the iDen technology behind, NII uses the iDen network in Latin America. There is enough of a subscriber base to look at investing in improving that technology. To do a forklift upgrade to the iDen network would be expensive -- it means replacing all radios and handsets. I don't know how much upgrading you can do on that spectrum though, especially when Nextel is losing some of that spectrum in the US. That's why a nationwide safety network makes more sense.
"Sprint included a letter to Keith Cowan, an executive in charge of strategy and development, offering him a $1 million bonus for "the strategic resolution of the iDen network."" - Nice bonus! Hey, Keith, call me!