By Jamie White – Head of Communications

Dixons Carphone is joining forces with US network Sprint to open new retail stores stateside.

The company has announced it has agreed to open and manage 20 Sprint-branded US stores as part of a pilot programme, which if successful, could lead to 500 stores opening in America.

The deal is the first major expansion for Dixons Carphone since the merger of Carphone Warehouse and Dixons last year.

Dixons Carphone brands also include Carphone Warehouse, Currys and PC World in the UK, and Elkjop and Phone House across Europe, where it has 2,900 stores.

Under the deal, Dixons Carphone’s Connected World Services division will open and manage the Sprint branded stores, lending its retail expertise to the US carrier, which has 57 million mobile phone customers in the US.

Sprint is the third largest wireless broadband provider in the US and also owns Boost mobile and Virgin mobile phone networks.

Sprint Corporation, the third largest network operator in the US, has been seeking to expand its retail presence. Earlier this year, it opened Sprint concessions at 1,435 RadioShack stores across the US.