Intangible Assets

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2013

Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]

Intangible Assets

Note 7. Intangible Assets

Indefinite-Lived Intangible Assets

	December 31, 2012		Net Additions		March 31, 2013
			(in millions)
FCC licenses	$	20,268	$	45	$	20,313
Trademarks	409		—		409
Goodwill	359		—		359
	$	21,036	$	45	$	21,081

We hold 1.9 gigahertz (GHz), 800 megahertz (MHz), and 900 MHz FCC licenses authorizing the use of radio frequency spectrum to deploy our wireless services. As long as the Company acts within the requirements and constraints of the regulatory authorities, the renewal and extension of these licenses is reasonably certain at minimal cost. We are not aware of any technology being developed that would render this spectrum obsolete and have concluded that licenses, for which we have an expectation of future use, are indefinite-lived intangible assets. Our Sprint and Boost Mobile trademarks have also been identified as indefinite-lived intangible assets. Goodwill represents the excess of consideration paid over the estimated fair value of net tangible and identifiable intangible assets acquired in business combinations.

Intangible Assets Subject to Amortization

Sprint's customer relationships are amortized using the sum-of-the-months' digits method. We reduce the gross carrying value and associated accumulated amortization when specified intangible assets become fully amortized. Other intangible assets primarily include certain rights under affiliation agreements that were reacquired in connection with the acquisitions of Affiliates and Nextel Partners, Inc., which are being amortized over the remaining terms of those affiliation agreements on a straight-line basis, and the Nextel, Direct Connect and Virgin Mobile trade names, which are being amortized on a straight-line basis.

		March 31, 2013							December 31, 2012
	Useful Lives	Gross Carrying Value		Accumulated Amortization			Net Carrying Value		Gross Carrying Value		Accumulated Amortization			Net Carrying Value
							(in millions)
Customer relationships	4 years	$	234	$	(233	)	$	1	$	234	$	(230	)	$	4
Other intangible assets
Trademarks	10 to 37 years	1,168		(705		)	463		1,168		(681		)	487
Reacquired rights	9 to 14 years	1,571		(818		)	753		1,571		(785		)	786
Other	9 to 10 years	141		(87		)	54		138		(80		)	58
Total other intangible assets		2,880		(1,610		)	1,270		2,877		(1,546		)	1,331
Total definite-lived intangible assets		$	3,114	$	(1,843	)	$	1,271	$	3,111	$	(1,776	)	$	1,335