Assurance Wireless Helps Eligible Veterans and Military Families with Free Handsets and Service

WARREN, N.J. (BUSINESS WIRE), June 24, 2011 - The country will soon come together to celebrate its independence, honoring those who currently serve our country and the veterans who proudly served in years past. Unfortunately, far too many veterans and military families find themselves fighting a different battle here at home, one which threatens their financial independence.

According to a recent report from the Labor Department¹, the unemployment rate for veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan is about 11 percent; this is about 2 points higher than the unemployment rate for the general population and one of every 10 veterans are living in poverty. For veterans going through tough financial times, or struggling to find a job in several states, Assurance Wireless is a smart, free way to increase the odds of securing employment.

With a free wireless phone, plus 250 minutes of national local and long-distance monthly service for eligible customers, Assurance Wireless gives veterans the ability to provide a contact number and return calls to prospective employers which, studies show, can improve the chances of securing employment.

Meanwhile, with the challenges of frequent moves, deployment and a fixed income, many military families and younger military members find themselves surviving on a tight budget . Assurance Wireless enables military families to stay in touch and provides a valuable no-cost tool for staying connected to schools, care-givers and employers.

Assurance Wireless customers receive a free handset, 250 free voice minutes per month with call waiting, a voice mail account, caller ID and access to 911 in case of emergency. Customers may also choose to pay for additional services as needed.

Who’s Eligible?

Eligibility for Assurance Wireless varies by state and may include those who participate in Medicaid, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP or food stamps), Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Federal Public Housing Assistance (FPHA or Section 8), Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) or the National School Lunch Program’s Free Lunch Program. Customers may also qualify based on low household income on a state by state basis as well.

Assurance Wireless is currently available in 26 states including Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Washington D.C., Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington and West Virginia. This list of states continues to expand and can be found on the Assurance website.

To learn more about Assurance Wireless, including eligibility requirements, please call 800-395-2171 or visit www.assurancewireless.com. Information is available in English and Spanish. Prospective low income customers who find they are not eligible for Assurance Wireless may learn more about Virgin Mobile’s no contract payLo Plan options by visiting www.virginmobileusa.com/cell-phone-plans/paylo-plans.jsp#.

Sprint has the distinction of a strong corporate reputation with various branches of the armed services. Sprint takes pride in its military recruitment program that focuses on hiring veterans, members of the Reserve and National Guard, as well as transitioning active military and their spouses or other family members. Sprint has been widely recognized for this strong commitment to the military with multiple awards for being a military-friendly employer.

About Assurance Wireless

Assurance Wireless, one of Sprint’s prepaid brands, is supported by the Lifeline Assistance program, part of the Low Income Program of the federal Universal Service Fund (USF), which is administered by the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC), and designed to ensure that quality telecommunications services are available to low-income customers at reasonable and affordable rates. Assurance Wireless uses the Nationwide Sprint Network which reaches more than 275 million people. Sprint also operates payLo by Virgin Mobile, a very affordable cellphone plan for those who may not be eligible for free service, but are on a tight budget as well.

Follow Assurance news on Facebook www.facebook.com/assurancecell, Twitter www.twitter.com/assurancecell and YouTube, www.youtube.com/assurancewireless.

About Sprint Nextel

Sprint Nextel offers a comprehensive range of wireless and wireline communications services bringing the freedom of mobility to consumers, businesses and government users. Sprint Nextel served more than 51 million customers at the end of 1Q 2011 and is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying innovative technologies, including the first wireless 4G service from a national carrier in the United States; offering industry-leading mobile data services, leading prepaid brands including Virgin Mobile USA, Boost Mobile, and Assurance Wireless; instant national and international push-to-talk capabilities; and a global Tier 1 Internet backbone. Newsweek ranked Sprint No. 6 in its 2010 Green Rankings, listing it as one of the nation’s greenest companies, the highest of any telecommunications company. You can learn more and visit Sprint at www.sprint.com or www.facebook.com/sprint and www.twitter.com/sprint.

¹ www.bls.gov/news.release/vet.nr0.htm

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