Reston-based company rolls out Push-to-Talk app for iPhones

Reston-based NII Holdings, which sells a Nextel-branded wireless service in Mexico and Latin America, is expanding its reach stateside, launching an iPhone app that mimics Nextel’s once popular Push-to-Talk service.

The app, called PRIP, costs $1.99 a month with the first month free.

A version for Android phones was introduced last summer.

PRIP is built on Motorola Mobility’s PTT technology, with real-time, instant and unlimited communication over 3G, 4G and Wi-Fi to other PRIP subscribers.

NII Holdings (NASDAQ: NIHD) calls it a more “human experience” that is an alternative to text messages.

“As our customer demands evolve and new devices enter the marketplace, it is important we continue to expand our offerings to meet their needs,” said NII Holdings chief marketing officer Greg Santoro.

Sprint (NYSE: S), which acquired Nextel Communications for $36 billion in 2005, discontinued Nextel’s iDEN network, which carried Push-to-Talk, in the U.S. last year.

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