SAN DIEGO, Aug. 29, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — Leap Wireless International, Inc. (NASDAQ: LEAP), a leading provider of innovative and value-driven wireless communications services, today announced the upcoming launch of enhanced rate plans that provide customers more alternatives and value at all price points. The new plans include the expansion of Cricket’s innovative Muve Music® service into all Android smartphone service plans at no extra charge, data-on-demand features, new data management tools and new international calling features that can be added to any feature phone or smartphone plan.
“These new rate plans are part of a significant transition we are making in our business and customer offerings that we expect will advance our strategy of offering best-in-class wireless services, strengthen our competitiveness and improve our financial performance,” said Doug Hutcheson, Leap’s president and chief executive officer. “The new plans provide more value and increased functionality for customers at price points that fit their needs and budget. Cricket will be the first carrier to truly integrate music into its core wireless offering, so that when customers buy an Android device with Cricket – on any priced Android smartphone rate plan they will get music with no added fees or contract. In addition, we are the first to allow customers to instantly buy additional full-speed data if they need more than what is available as part of their monthly plan.”
“Our expectation is that these new offerings, together with the improvements we are making to our customer experience and device line-up, will make us more competitive and enable us to attract and keep high-value customers. We are also continuing to look at ways to improve financial performance, drive stronger business performance, and optimize our underperforming assets to ensure we deliver value to our shareholders,” he continued.
Cricket’s new rate plans, available to customers in Cricket company-owned stores, dealers and on www.mycricket.com, start at $35 and $45 per month for feature phones and offer unlimited nationwide talk and text. New smartphone plans start at $50 for unlimited talk and text and 1GB of full-speed data per month. The $60 smartphone plan contains 2.5GB of full-speed data per month and the $70 smartphone plan offers 5GB of full-speed data per month. Cricket PAYGo™ plans, offered in national retail channels have also been enhanced and are now more uniform with Cricket Wireless, with smartphone rate plans available for $50 or $60 including Muve Music and new data buckets. The new Cricket Wireless and Cricket PAYGo (national retail) rate plans will go into effect Sunday, September 2, 2012.
In addition, Cricket customers on these plans can now use new data tools on their phones to track their data usage throughout the month and buy additional quantities of full-speed data. Under the new rate plans, when customers need more full-speed data than their selected rate-plan provides, they can change to a rate plan with more full-speed data, add one or more 1GB full-speed data add-ons to their plan for $10 each, purchase additional full-speed data as needed at a rate of $1 per 50MB, or make no change and use unlimited reduced-speed data through their paid service period.
Cricket is also improving its international calling capabilities by allowing customers to add international calling features to any Cricket Wireless service plans. In addition, Cricket is introducing a $15 add-on feature that includes Global Local Number, 500 international landline minutes and 30 international mobile minutes.
