Exhibit 5



                               January 26, 2006



Sprint Nextel Corporation
2001 Edmund Halley Drive
Reston, Virginia


     Re:  43,841,835 shares of Common Stock, Series 1 (par  value
          $2.00  per  share),  and the related  Rights,  issuable
          pursuant to the 1997 Long-Term Stock Incentive Program

Gentlemen:

     I have acted as your counsel in connection  with the proposed  offering and
issuance of an aggregate of 43,841,835  shares of your Common  Stock,  Series 1,
and  the  related  Rights  (collectively,  the  "Shares")  referred  to  in  the
Registration Statement on Form S-8 (the "Registration  Statement"),  to be filed
with the  Securities and Exchange  Commission  pursuant to the Securities Act of
1933,  as  amended  (the  "Act").  In  such  connection,  I  have  examined  the
Registration  Statement  and I am familiar  with the  proceedings  taken by your
stockholders  and your Board of Directors  and officers in  connection  with the
approval of the 1997 Long-Term Stock Incentive Program, the authorization of the
Shares,  the recombination of PCS Common Stock and FON Common Stock, and related
matters,  and I have reviewed such documents,  records,  and matters of law as I
have considered necessary for rendering my opinion hereinafter set forth.

     For purposes of the opinion set forth in clause 2(ii) below, I have assumed
that the Shares  that may be issued  under the 1997  Long-Term  Stock  Incentive
Program will continue to be duly authorized on the dates of such issuances.

     The opinions  expressed herein are limited in all respects to the corporate
law of the State of Kansas, and no opinion is expressed with respect to the laws
of any other  jurisdiction or any effect that such laws may have on the opinions
expressed herein.  These opinions are limited to the matters stated herein,  and
no opinion is implied or may be  inferred  beyond the matters  expressly  stated
herein.

     Based upon the foregoing, I am of the opinion that:

     1.   Sprint Nextel  Corporation is a corporation duly organized and validly
          existing under the laws of the State of Kansas.




     2.   The Shares  have been duly and  validly  authorized,  and when (i) the
          Registration Statement has become effective under the Act and (ii) the
          Shares  are  issued  and  sold in the  manner  permitted  by the  1997
          Long-Term Stock Incentive Program, such Shares will be legally issued,
          fully paid and nonassessable.

     I hereby  consent  to the  filing  of this  opinion  as an  exhibit  to the
Registration Statement. In giving such consent, I do not thereby admit that I am
in the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Act.


                                        Very truly yours,


                                        /s/ Michael T. Hyde

                                        Michael T. Hyde