CALIFORNIA : BRIEFLY / TELECOMMUNICATIONS : Sprint Set to Sell New Bundled Services

Sprint Corp. will begin selling plans that bundle long-distance and wireless services, similar to new calling packages introduced this week by AT&T; Corp., to cut turnover in its consumer businesses. Phone companies are racing to offer bundles of services to keep customers longer and get them to spend more. Under AT&T;’s new wireless package, called the AT&T; Family Plan, up to five family members can make unlimited wireless calls to one another and to their home phone within a designated area, for prices ranging from $24.99 to $69.99 a month. They also get long-distance from their home phones at 7 cents a minute, 24 hours a day, with no monthly fee. Sprint may counter with similar packages in the next few weeks, analysts said. The company declined to say when the services might be offered or how much they will cost. Shares of Sprint, based in Westwood, Kan., fell 25 cents to close at $43.69, and AT&T;, of Basking Ridge, N.J., fell 38 cents to $47, both on the NYSE.