June 8, 2006

Leap Wireless International will officially kick off a service launch in three Texas cities today.

Promotional events over the next couple of weeks include a cattle drive, an American flag give-away and a Battle of the Mariachis.

Leap is launching service in Houston, while Leap and Alaska Native Broadband 1 License L.L.C. will begin offering Leap’s Cricket service in the Texas cities of Bryan and College Station.

Leap owns a 75 percent, non-controlling interest in ANB’s parent company, which acquired nine spectrum licenses in the Federal Communications Commission’s auction 58.

Leap currently offers service in San Antonio, Texas.

The new markets puts Leap’s total covered potential customers at 35 million, including 4.9 million new covered POPs in eastern Texas.

Cricket’s flat-rate plans offer service to customers without credit checks or contracts, and its Jump Mobile prepaid service is targeted at the urban youth market.

“Houston is our largest market launch today, and supports our strategic growth plans in the Southwest,” said Doug Hutcheson, president and chief executive officer of Leap. “We look forward to creating a new cluster of Cricket markets in Texas.”

Source: RCR