July 12, 2006

Leap Wireless International has officially rolled out wireless services in Louisville and Lexington, Ky.

The markets were launched as part of a joint venture with Alaska Native Broadband 1 License, L.L.C., in which Leap has a majority, non-controlling stake.

According to Leap, the new markets cover about 1.4 million potential customers.

With the launch, Leap’s network now reaches about 4.1 million pops in portions of Kentucky and Ohio.

For customers of Leap’s Cricket Communications brand, the Midwest regional calling area will include five metropolitan areas: Louisville and Lexington, Ky., and Cincinnati, Dayton and Columbus, Ohio. The Columbus market is owned by CSM Wireless L.L.C. and operates under the Revol brand name.

Leap is sponsoring a series of promotions and events along with the Kentucky launch, including free public transit rides for a limited time in Lexington and Louisville and 99-cent gallons of gas for an hour at one gas station in Louisville.

The company said that four Cricket retail stores and 41 indirect dealers will be selling Cricket service in Louisville and Lexington.

Leap announced earlier this week that it has completed a joint venture that will allow it to offer service in three Oregon cities; CSM Wireless is part of that venture as well.

Leap’s next slated service launches are in the Texas markets of Austin and Temple/Killeen, expected in early August.

Leap also has applied to take part in the Federal Communications Commission’s upcoming AWS spectrum auction.

“We expect the company will be an active participant in the auction, focusing on licenses in both new and existing clusters,” wrote Raymond James analyst Ric Prentiss in a recent research note.

Source: RCR News