POWER OF ATTORNEY

     Know all by these presents, that the undersigned hereby constitutes and
appoints each of Charles R. Wunsch, Timothy P. O'Grady, Scott W. Andreasen,
Stefan K. Schnopp, Shana C. Smith and Courtney S. Kamlet, signing singly, the
undersigned's true and lawful attorney in fact to:

     1.	execute for and on behalf of the undersigned, in the undersigned's
capacity as an officer and/or director of Sprint Nextel Corporation (the
"Company"), Forms 3, 4, and 5 in accordance with Section 16(a) of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules thereunder;

     2.	do and perform any and all acts for and on behalf of the undersigned
which may be necessary or desirable to complete and execute any such Form 3, 4,
or 5, complete and execute any amendment or amendments thereto, and timely file
such form with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission and any
stock exchange or similar authority; and

     3.	take any other action of any type whatsoever in connection with the
foregoing which, in the opinion of such attorney in fact, may be of benefit to,
in the best interest of, or legally required by, the undersigned, it being
understood that the documents executed by such attorney in fact on behalf of the
undersigned pursuant to this Power of Attorney shall be in such form and shall
contain such terms and conditions as such attorney in fact may approve in such
attorney in fact's discretion.

     The undersigned hereby grants to each such attorney in fact full power and
authority to do and perform any and every act and thing whatsoever requisite,
necessary, or proper to be done in the exercise of any of the rights and powers
herein granted, as fully to all intents and purposes as the undersigned might or
could do if personally present, with full power of substitution or revocation,
hereby ratifying and confirming all that such attorney in fact, or such attorney
in fact's substitute or substitutes, shall lawfully do or cause to be done by
virtue of this Power of Attorney and the rights and powers herein granted.  The
undersigned acknowledges that the foregoing attorneys in fact, in serving in
such capacity at the request of the undersigned, are not assuming, nor is the
Company assuming, any of the undersigned's responsibilities to comply with
Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. This Power of
Attorney shall remain in full force and effect until the undersigned is no
longer required to file Forms 3, 4, and 5 with respect to the undersigned's
holdings of and transactions in securities issued by the Company, unless earlier
revoked by the undersigned in a signed writing delivered to the foregoing
attorneys in fact.  This Power of Attorney supersedes and revokes, as of the
date hereof, all powers providing authority similar to the above-referenced
authority granted in this Power of Attorney.

     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has caused this Power of Attorney to be
executed as of this 20th day of February, 2009.

                                                  /s/ Steve Elfman
                                           Name:      Steve Elfman