SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Mar. 9, 2009-- Leap Wireless International, Inc. (NASDAQ:LEAP), the parent company of Cricket Communications, Inc., a leading provider of unlimited wireless services, today announced that it is launching its Cricket unlimited wireless services in the greater Philadelphia area beginning tomorrow. Philadelphians will now have access to unlimited, feature-packed 3G wireless voice and broadband services – all at affordable rates that provide great wireless value.

Cricket’s coverage area expands from Philadelphia and the surrounding suburbs, across South Jersey to Atlantic City and down to Wilmington in Northern Delaware. The Cricket footprint, which covers approximately 4,500 square miles and nearly 6.3 million covered POPs, brings Cricket’s total national covered POPs to approximately 83.8 million.

“We are pleased to launch our Cricket service in Philadelphia, which is one of the flagship cities in our build-out of the Eastern Seaboard,” said Doug Hutcheson, president and CEO of Leap. “Philadelphians now have the option for affordable, unlimited wireless services, something that continues to be of increasing importance especially in challenging economic times when value becomes even more important. Our launch in Philadelphia follows last month’s successful launch in Chicago, and is part of our overall plans to expand our Cricket service to even more geographies across the country over the next year.”

Cricket is also bringing more than 1,450 jobs to the area, including approximately 1,200 new positions created through the dealer network. Cricket will open 20 retail store locations in the Delaware Valley, with 12 stores in Philadelphia and the remainder spreading out across the surrounding suburbs, South Jersey and Wilmington. In addition, Cricket service plans are available at 65 Cricket exclusive wireless dealers and 300 other dealer locations throughout the region, as well as online at www.mycricket.com or via the telephone at 800-922-9169.

Cricket rate plans range from $30 to $60 per month and include unlimited anytime minutes, unlimited U.S. long distance, unlimited text and picture messaging, unlimited text to Mexico, unlimited Mobile Web, unlimited directory assistance, nationwide roaming minutes and more -- all without requiring signed contracts or credit checks. Cricket rate plans also include unlimited use in all Cricket markets across the U.S., including Pittsburgh and Chicago, as well as Premium Extended Coverage, which allows unlimited use in an even broader area stretching from New York and Boston to California and from Wisconsin to Texas. Cricket has more than a dozen devices available to Philadelphia area residents ranging from higher-end handsets to more affordable mobile phones.

In addition to unlimited mobile phone services, Cricket is also offering Cricket Broadband, providing customers’ unlimited Internet access anywhere in Cricket's coverage areas on their desktop or laptop computers. The Cricket monthly broadband service plan is just $35 per month for customers who also have Cricket's low-cost unlimited voice plans, and $40 per month as a stand-alone service.

About Leap

Leap provides innovative, high-value wireless services to a fast-growing, young and ethnically diverse customer base. With the value of unlimited wireless services as the foundation of its business, Leap pioneered its Cricket service. The Company and its joint ventures now operate in 30 states and hold licenses in 35 of the top 50 U.S. markets. Through its affordable, flat-rate service plans, Cricket offers customers a choice of unlimited voice, text, data and mobile Web services. Headquartered in San Diego, Calif., Leap is traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the ticker symbol "LEAP." For more information, please visit www.leapwireless.com.

Leap is a U.S. registered trademark and the Leap logo is a trademark of Leap. Cricket, Jump, the Cricket “K” and Flex Bucket are U.S. registered trademarks of Cricket. In addition, the following are trademarks or service marks of Cricket: Cricket By Week, Cricket Choice, Cricket Connect, Cricket Nation and Cricket PAYGo. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Source: Leap Wireless International, Inc.

Leap Wireless International, Inc.
Greg Lund, Media Relations
858-882-9105
glund@leapwireless.com
or
Amy Wakeham, Investor Relations
858-882-6084
awakeham@leapwireless.com