Boost Mobile
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
|
| Type | Private |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2000 |
| Headquarters | Irvine, California |
| Industry | Wireless Services |
| Owner(s) | Sprint Nextel |
| Website | www.boostmobile.com |
Boost Mobile is based in Irvine, California, it is a division of Sprint Nextel (NYSE: S). It was originally launched in Australia (Over Optus) in 2000 and in New Zealand (Over Telecom New Zealand) in 2001.
Contents |
[edit] History
Boost Mobile was founded in Australia and New Zealand in 2000 by Peter Adderton. Adderton and Craig Cooper brought the brand to the United States in 2001 as a lifestyle (action sports based) brand and entered into a joint venture with Nextel Communications to launch and market the brand in the US. In 2003, Nextel purchased the American division of Boost Mobile. Until late 2004, Boost Mobile was only available in select markets, primarily in California and Nevada. Prior to Boost Mobile, Nextel primarily focused on the business market. Boost Mobile had four million customers at the end of the first quarter of 2007.
At the end of 2006, Boost launched its Unlimited by Boost Mobile Service. The service offered unlimited talk, and unlimited talk and text, and unlimited talk, text, and wireless web.
To compete with Unlimited offerings from competitors in the wireless industry, Boost Mobile announced on January 15, 2009 that it would launch its Monthly Unlimited Plan at $50, inclusive of talk, text, Internet, walkie-talkie, taxes and fees. [1] The new unlimited plan resulted in a net gain of more than 674,000 customers in less than three months(Unlimited plan available two months of quarter) [2]. Despite the prepaid lift, Boost Mobile's parent company of Sprint Nextel suffered a subscriber loss, so Boost helped to mitigate but did not completely offset Sprint Nextel's (gross) loss of 1.25 million contract subscriptions. The resulting spike in growth of Boost's popular unlimited service caused delays of up to several days for the text messages of many customers in April. The new service runs on the Sprint Nextel iDEN network, which previously was best known for its walkie-talkie feature. A Boost spokesman said that they did not anticipate the level of popularity for the new service, and that efforts to improve the network have been implemented to largely mitigate the problem [3].
During the Sprint Nextel Corporation Earnings Conference Call for Q1 2009 on May 4, Sprint CEO Dan Hesse said that "as of today, the messaging network on the iDEN network and for our Boost customers is back to normal."
[edit] Current Plans
[edit] iDEN
Monthly Unlimited: $50 a month includes nationwide unlimited talk, text (including multi-media messaging), wireless Web, Walkie-Talkie. Also includes voicemail, long distance and nationwide network. This is a flat-rate offer with no taxes, roaming charges or other fees.
International Connect add-on: An additional $10 a month add-on to the Monthly Unlimited plan, International Connect includes unlimited text messaging and walkie-talkie services between the U.S., Canada, Baja California, and select areas of South America. Customers in the U.S. or Baja California can send and receive unlimited texts globally.
Daily Chat and Text Plan: $1 daily subscription, unlimited text, nights and weekends and mobile-to-mobile. Daytime rates are 10¢ per minute. Unlimited nationwide Boost® Walkie-Talkie is available for an additional $1 a day.
Paygo Basic: 10¢ per minute, anytime - day or night, customers can also send and receive standard text messages for 10¢ per message. Unlimited Nationwide Boost® Walkie-Talkie is available for an additional $1 a day.
[edit] Current devices
[edit] UNLTD (CDMA) handsets
[edit] PAYGO & $50 Monthly Unlimited handsets
- Motorola i295
- Motorola i335
- Motorola i425e
- Motorola i425t
- Motorola Clutch i465
- Motorola i776
- Motorola i776w
- Motorola Stature i9
Most Nextel-branded iDEN phones can be used with the Boost service with the addition of a Boost SIM card. However, Boost Mobile will not guarantee all service features if a Nextel-branded handset is chosen.
[edit] Marketing and sponsorships
The Boost brand was primarily marketed to teen and young-adult demographics, but has been widened to much broader demographics with the launch of their nationwide monthly unlimited plan in Jan 2009.
Boost Mobile sponsored a big-time professional surfing event, the Boost Mobile Pro of Surf. (See ASP World Tour.) They sponsored a professional skateboard event, the Boost Mobile Pro of Skateboarding, and logo-labeled skateboards and accessories. Current team riders in the action sports world include:
SURF:
- Cory Lopez
- Ian Walsh
- Kolohe Andino
- Makua Rothman
- Rob Machado
- Sunny Garcia
SKATE:
- Mark Appleyard
- Paul Rodriguez
- Pierre Luc Gagnon
- Terry Kennedy
- Tosh Townend
MOTO:
- Jamal Kindred
- Jeff "OX" Kargola
- Josh Hansen
BMX:
- Jamie Bestwick
- Rick Thorne
SNOW:
- Alex Waite
- Andreas Wiig
- Danny Kass
- Keir Dillon
Mixed Martial Arts: Quinton "Rampage" Jackson
One of Boost's most prominent teams in action sports is the Boost Mobile Freestyle Motocross Team, which travels around the country and performs - as well as features some of the biggest names in FMX (http://www.freestylemx.com/).
Boost Mobile is also the official sponsor of Hot Import Nights, a year long event that brings together cars, models, performance artists together at locations nationwide.
Boost can be found at different music festivals and prominent music events across the country - as a lot of its roots are based in the music world.
Since 2005 Boost Mobile has 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.
Recently, Boost Mobile has been sponsoring IndyCar Series driver Danica Patrick and her Lucky #7 Boost Mobile/Motorola/Andretti Green Racing car. A series of edgy and funny commercials from Boost's UNWRONGED(TM) campaign has featured Danica. One of which had her pit crew dressed up as women, and the other with her signing the chests of men.
Well known for edgy, bold and irreverent advertising, Boost continues to reflect this irreverent spirit and off-the-wall sense of humor in its advertising and commercials.
[edit] By country
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 an SMS plan named Telecom Boost TXT.
Boost Mobile in Australia uses the Optus network. Optus provides the service while Boost Mobile provides the devices and content.
As Boost Mobile in the U.S. is wholly owned by Sprint Nextel, they run on both Sprint's CDMA network and Nextel's iDEN network. Unlimited by Boost is designated for the CDMA handsets and is primarily marketed in the Southern and Southwestern US. Boost Nationwide Unlimited (aka Monthly Unlimited Plan), which differs from their previous unlimited plan, is offered for iDEN handsets as of January 22, 2009. [4] Boost Mobile's walkie-talkie service (only on iDEN handsets) is compatible with Nextel's in the United States, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina and Peru and with Telus Mobility in Canada. Boost offers a $10 add-on to their $50 monthly unlimited to allow unlimited walkie-talkie service between these countries with unlimited international walkie-talkie. [5]
[edit] Popular culture references
- On December 12, 2005, Boost Mobile ran a promotion with Cartoon Network's "Adult Swim" block of programming, particularly during Aqua Teen Hunger Force which was the main focus in that night's episode.
- The Boost brand was made famous amongst American teens and young adults with their former tagline (has been phased out since), "Where You At?".
- Boost phones are consistently featured in some of the top prime time shows and hit movies...a few recent examples include feature films "Hotel for Dogs", "the Hangover" and hit TV show "Dexter".
- Still a big presence in action sports, FUEL TV's premier action sports news program, "the Weekly Update with Boost Mobile" is still one of the most well known shows on the network.
[edit] External links
- Official website (USA)
- Official website (Australia)
- Official website (New Zealand)
- Boost Mobile Prepaid Cell Phone Review
|
||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
