| Boost Mobile | |
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| Type | Owned by Sprint Nextel |
| Founded | 2000 |
| Headquarters | Irvine, California |
| Industry | Wireless Services |
| Website | Boost Mobile |
Boost Mobile is an Irvine, CA-based brand of mobile phone service launched in Australia (Over Optus) in 2000 and in New Zealand (Over Telecom New Zealand) in 2001 . The Boost brand is primarily marketed to the teenager and young adult demographic. Peter Adderton and Craig Cooper brought the brand to the United States in 2001 and entered into a joint venture with Nextel Communications to launch and market the brand in the USA. In 2003, Nextel purchased 100% of the American division of Boost Mobile. Until late 2004, Boost Mobile was only available in select markets with is launch in the US focusing primarily on California and Nevada. Prior to Boost Mobile, Nextel primarily focused on the business market. Boost Mobile has more than 4 million customers at the end of the first quarter, 2007. Boost Mobile's past American advertising campaigns featured Fat Joe, Master Shake, Eve, Travis Barker, Kanye West, Ludacris, Richard "Rip" Hamilton, Nick Cannon, and The Game and uses the slogan "Where you at?"
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United States
In the US, Boost Mobile uses Sprint Nextel's iDEN and CDMA networks with iDEN phones that are unique to Boost and popular CDMA phones. Boost Mobile's iDEN service offers many popular and exclusive features including the walkie-talkie, call tones, GPS navigation, ringtone, wallpaper and game downloads and Loopt. Boost Mobile's CDMA service will offer many of the same features. Since Boost Mobile USA runs on iDEN, it uses a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card (incompatible with GSM or other wireless technologies) to store user information. Thus it is possible to use Boost Mobile with a Nextel handset simply by inserting the Boost SIM card into the handset. Boost Mobile offers a “Starter Kit” that supports the use of a Boost SIM in a Nextel handset, but Boost Customer Care will not provide technical support if this is done. In addition, many standard features will not work (i.e. text messaging) with a Boost Mobile SIM card in Nextel phone and Boost does not guarantee that ANY of the services will work at all. Inserting a Nextel SIM card into a Boost Mobile handset will cause the user to experience an "Enter Special Code" error message rendering the phone inoperable until a Boost Mobile SIM is reinserted or the Boost Mobile handset is unlocked using a data cable and the appropriate software (note that modifying the handset's Master Subsidy Lock (MSL) is now legal due to a ruling by the U.S. Copyright Office in November 2006).[1]. Alternatively, Sprint supports a migration process from Boost to Nextel whereby Sprint Customer Care is capable of unlocking a Boost handset upon request.
Current US Devices
Prepaid
- Motorola i425
- Motorola i855
Boost Unlimited
- Motorola C290
- Motorola W385
Discontinued US Devices
Prepaid
- Motorola i60
- Motorola i90
- Motorola i95
- Motorola i205
- Motorola i215
- Motorola i285
- Motorola i415
- Motorola i450
- Motorola i455
- Motorola i730
- Motorola i860
- Motorola i875
- Motorola i885
New Zealand
Boost Mobile in New Zealand is a subsidiary of Telecom New Zealand. Devices and services are sold through Telecom New Zealand while Boost Mobile provides the content. From November 2007 Boost mobile has been wound down and is only now a txt plan named Telecom Boost TXT.
Australia
Boost Mobile in Australia uses the Optus network. Optus provides the service while Boost Mobile provides the devices and content.
Current Devices
- LG KG225
- Motorola KRZR
- Motorola W205
- Nokia 5300
- Samsung C520
- Boost (Bird) D615
Pop Culture References
- On the evening of December 12, 2005, Boost Mobile did a promotion with Cartoon Network's "Adult Swim" block of programming, particularly during Aqua Teen Hunger Force, and was the main focus in that night's episode.
- Boost Mobile branded phones can be seen used by members of the Miami Metro Police Department in the second season of the Showtime television series Dexter
- Several films exclusively use Boost Mobile phones as props, including Disturbia, Super Bad, Knocked Up and Grandma's Boy.
Sponsorships
Boost Mobile sponsors a professional surfing event, the Boost Mobile Pro of Surf. (See ASP World Tour.) In addition, Boost Mobile sponsored a professional skateboard event, the Boost Mobile Pro of Skateboarding, as well as logo-labeled skateboards and accessories. They also sponsor an extensive number of action sports athletes, including Kelly Slater, Rob Machado, Jamie O’Brien, Cory Lopez, and many others. Starting in 2005, Boost Mobile has also sponsored the national volunteer efforts of RockCorps to form Boost Mobile RockCorps. The organization encourages youth to volunteer in their communities for four hours by rewarding them with a ticket to an exclusive concert.
References
External links
- Boost Mobile U.S. web site
- Boost Mobile Australia web site
- Boost Mobile New Zealand web site
- Boost Mobile RockCorps
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| Major network operators | AT&T · Sprint Nextel · T-Mobile · Verizon Wireless |
| Super-regional network operators | Alltel · Cellular South · Centennial · Cricket · MetroPCS · SunCom · Unicel · U.S. Cellular |
| Minor-regional network operators | ACS · Cellcom · Cellular One · Cincinnati Bell Wireless · Edge Wireless · i wireless · Immix · nTelos · Pocket Communications · Revol · SouthernLINC Wireless · West Central Wireless |
| Mobile virtual network operators | 7-Eleven Speak Out Wireless · BeyondMobile · Hawaiian Telcom · Helio · Jitterbug Wireless · Kajeet · KDDI Mobile · Liberty Wireless · Lucky Wireless · MOSH Mobile · Movida Wireless · Qwest Wireless · STI Mobile · TracFone Wireless · Virgin Mobile USA · Voce |
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| Corporate Directors: | Paul Saleh (Acting CEO) · Keith J. Bane · Gordon M. Bethune · Frank M. Drendel · James H. Hance, Jr. (acting non-executive chairman of the board) · V. Janet Hill · Irvine O. Hockaday, Jr. · William E. Kennard · Linda Koch Lorimer · Stephanie M. Shern · William H. Swanson |
| Holding Companies: | NEXTEL Communications |
| Wireless Services: | Sprint PCS · NEXTEL · Boost Mobile |
Annual Revenue: $34.7 billion USD ( FY 2005) · Employees: 62,000 · Stock Symbol: NYSE: S · Website: www.sprint.com |
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