Embarq Corporation, or EMBARQ is the fourth largest local exchange carrier in the Unite States (below the Baby Bells) and the largest independent local provider, serving customers in 18 states and providing local, long distance, high-speed data and wireless services to residential and business customers. It is formerly the local telephone division (LTD) of Sprint Nextel. It is owned by the same people who owned Sprint Communications before the Sprint PCS merger with Nextel. It is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol EQ. First year total shareholder return exceeded 50%.