The Kansas Corporation Commission on Wednesday approved Sprint Nextel Corp.’s proposed spinoff of its local division to a separate company to be called Embarq.

The decision leaves Sprint Nextel, based in Reston, Va., with operational headquarters in Overland Park, only needing approval from regulators in Pennsylvania and Washington.

Sprint Nextel provides local telephone and high-speed Internet services to 7 million access lines in 18 states.

Commission staff members last month sought to block the spinoff, saying it provided no benefit to customers. In particular, they worried that Embarq would start with so much debt it would have to cut back on services or raise rates.

They changed their minds after Sprint Nextel agreed not to immediately change prices or services for existing customers.

Sprint Nextel plans to spin off Embarq in May.