Assurance Wireless to Aid New Jersey Residents Facing Economic Hardship with Free Cell Phone and Wireless Service

Today, Assurance Wireless, a cell phone service from Virgin Mobile that provides a free wireless phone and 200 free minutes of wireless voice service monthly to eligible customers, launches in New Jersey.

More than 438,000 New Jersey residents are currently without a job and more than 13 percent are living below the federal poverty line. Assurance Wireless gives eligible customers the ability to provide a contact number and return calls to a prospective employer, which, studies show, can improve the chances of securing employment as well as provide a simple way to stay connected to family in case of emergencies.

"With unemployment in New Jersey currently so high, people need to be connected if for no other reason than to be able to apply for and obtain a new job,” said Grace Boehm, director for Assurance Wireless. "Studies have shown that nearly a third of those working say their cell phone has helped them make money, get new work or new customers.”

According to a recent nationwide survey from Assurance Wireless*, adults with an income of less than $25,000 are as likely to use their mobile phone for employment searches as those with higher incomes.

"Programs like Assurance are so important for helping individuals and families stay on, or get back on, their feet and succeed in these difficult financial times,” explains business columnist and personal finance expert Louis Barajas.

"I am very happy to have a phone from Assurance Wireless. I mostly use it in case of emergencies and to stay in contact with my family. This is a good program in today’s economy,” stated Lydia A., a 54-year-old Assurance Wireless customer from New York.

In addition to free voicemail¹ and call waiting, Assurance Wireless provides caller ID and access to 911 in case of emergency. Beyond the free 200 minutes, customers can pay for additional 10-cent-per-minute domestic calling, 10-cent text, e-mail or instant messages, international calling at competitive rates, and more.²

Customers eligible for Assurance Wireless include those who participate in Medicaid, Food Stamps/SNAP, Temporary Cash Assistance (TCA/TANF), Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Bureau of Indian Affairs Programs (BIA), Federal Public Housing Assistance (Section 8), Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), or National School Lunch Program's Free Lunch Program. Customers may also qualify based on low household income.

Eligible residents can apply for Assurance Wireless by calling 1-800-395-2171, or visiting www.assurancewireless.com.

Assurance Wireless is currently also available in Florida, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, New York, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.

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.

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.

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Note: sources for all information and statistics are available upon request

*PKS Research Partners was commissioned by Sprint/Nextel (Assurance Wireless) to conduct a research project among a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults 25 years or older in order to determine their attitudes towards and usage of mobile phones.