Virgin Mobile USA Recognized by J.D. Power for Overall Customer Satisfaction Performance in the 2012 Wireless Customer Care Non-Contract Volume 1 Study

Boost Mobile Ranked Second

WARREN, N.J. (BUSINESS WIRE), February 03, 2012 – Virgin Mobile USA, a leader in no-contract wireless service that has evolved from pay-as-you-go service to offer one of the best monthly unlimited data plans for smartphones, has received the highest ranking in the J.D. Power and Associates 2012 Wireless Customer Care Non-Contract Study – Volume 1, released Thursday.

According to J.D. Power and Associates, Virgin Mobile USA’s overall index score was significantly higher than the industry average, 735 vs. 698, and Virgin Mobile experienced the largest improvement from last year’s study among all ranked non-contract carriers.

Virgin Mobile Beyond Talk monthly unlimited data plans, which start at $35, are ideal for those smartphone users hungry for the most connectivity and the least amount of voice minutes; payLo by Virgin Mobile provides real value for basic cellphone customers, who mostly talk and don’t need all the bells and whistles of a smartphone. In this study, Virgin Mobile respondents were evenly split 49% / 48% monthly non-contract vs. Pay as You Go. The award combines customer sentiment across Virgin Mobile USA, payLo by Virgin Mobile and Broadband2Go.

“Virgin Mobile is truly a multi-level brand, and our different plans are tailored for the various ways customers use their mobile devices,” said Jeff Hallock, vice president-Marketing for Sprint. “Both Virgin Mobile and Boost Mobile’s line-ups of Android^™-powered smartphones have dramatically changed the nature of our customer base. We’ve worked hard to meet these new demands and are honored to be recognized by our customers for these efforts. We are committed to listening to our customers and continuing to improve our overall care performance.

“We share these honors with our front-line care representatives, our salesforce and the more than 40,000 retailers who serve our customers every day. We couldn’t do this without them, or without our manufacturing partners who enable us to provide real value with a diverse handset line-up, ranging from basic feature phones to smartphones and 3G mobile broadband at reasonable prices.”

The survey measures customers’ experience within five care channels including Automated Response System (ARS) then transferred to live customer service representatives (CSR) as the largest segment; CSR Only, ARS Only, Retail (Walk-in) and Online (Web/e-mail). The irreverent but customer-focused brand received the highest ranking within the ARS/CSR touchpoints, also significantly above the non-contract average. The study indicates that Virgin Mobile performs particularly well in phone contacts that originate in the ARS channel and are then transferred to a live service representative, and in phone calls made directly to a CSR.

This represents the fourth J.D. Power award for Sprint’s prepaid brands since the launch of that business unit; Boost Mobile ranked highest in three different J.D. Power studies — for Overall Customer Satisfaction Performance (2010), Customer Care Performance and Purchase Experience (2011 Volume 2) among non-contract customers. Before Sprint’s acquisition, Virgin Mobile had also received the highest ranking in America’s Wireless Prepaid Services for Customer Satisfaction Excellence in the 2006 and 2007 Wireless Prepaid CSI Study.

The J.D. Power study surveyed more than 2,800 wireless consumers around the country, measuring the opinions of those specifically using non-contract wireless services July through December 2011. Thirty-nine percent of Virgin Mobile customers had been in contact with the carrier within the last six months of 2011. Six non-contract providers were measured on such factors as timeliness of resolution, promptness, ease of navigation (of websites and automated systems), courtesy and concern, and knowledge of representative.

A link to more information about the J.D. Power and Associates award and Virgin Mobile USA’s performance can be found at http://businesscenter.jdpower.com/news/pressrelease.aspx?ID=2012012

About Virgin Mobile USA

Virgin Mobile USA, one of Sprint‘s prepaid brands, offers millions of customers control, flexibility and connectivity through Virgin Mobile’s Beyond Talk™ No Contract plans with unlimited data for mobile phone service including Android-powered smartphones and prepaid Broadband2Go high-speed Web access on the Nationwide Sprint Network. Virgin Mobile-branded devices are available at more than 40,000 retail stores, including Target, Walmart, Best Buy and RadioShack. Top-Up cards are available at approximately 150,000 locations nationwide and can be used for Assurance Wireless and Broadband2Go services. Experience Virgin Mobile on the Web at Facebook, Twitter, You Tube and purchase Virgin Mobile USA products at www.virginmobileusa.com.

About Boost Mobile

Boost Mobile, one of Sprint’s award-winning prepaid brands, offers wireless phones and services with no long-term contracts. Boost Mobile redefines value for wireless consumers with its Monthly Unlimited with Shrinkage no-contract service, where the longer you stay the less you pay with on-time payments for unlimited voice, text messaging, Web, email and calls to 411. Boost Mobile offers nationwide service on the Nationwide Sprint Network, reaching more than 280 million people, and on the Nextel National Network, reaching more than 278 million people, with no activation or long-distance fees. Boost Mobile offers a selection of quality handsets from LG, Motorola, Research In Motion (RIM), Samsung, Sanyo and ZTE, ranging from entry-level to Android^™ smartphone devices available nationwide at nearly 20,000 major retail stores, including Best Buy, RadioShack, Target, Family Dollar, Walgreens and Walmart, Sprint retail stores, independent wireless dealer locations, and on HSN, a leading TV home shopping network. Re-Boost^® cards are available at approximately 100,000 locations throughout the United States. Experience Boost Mobile on the Web at MySpace, Facebook and Twitter; and purchase products at www.boostmobile.com.