Leap Wireless: 394,000 Net Additions in Q4 '01 (from birational on the Qualcomm thread...)
Leap's Cricket Customers Grow Five-Fold in 2001 to More Than 1.1 Million
SAN DIEGO, Jan 8, 2002--Leap Wireless International, Inc., an innovator of wireless communications services,
today announced that it ended fiscal year 2001 with 1.119 million Cricket customers, meeting the company's
guidance of at least 1.1 million customers. Leap currently offers Cricket, its unlimited local wireless service, in 39
markets in 20 states stretching from New York to California. Leap grew its customer base by 54 percent in
the fourth quarter, up from more than 724,000 customers as of Sept. 30, 2001. Net additions were more
than 394,000 -- an all-time high for the company.
"Despite an uncertain economy, the demand for the Cricket service and its value and predictability has remained
strong. We think Cricket service and its customer growth both this quarter and this year prove that our innovative,
value-focused business model succeeds in adding customers more quickly than almost anyone else in the wireless
industry," said Harvey P. White, chairman and CEO of Leap. "We are proud of accomplishing the five-fold
increase in our customer base while successfully expanding our business on a national scale during the year. We
look forward to moving ahead with our plans to launch our 40th market -- Buffalo, N.Y. -- in the first quarter of
this year and expect to end 2002 with approximately two million Cricket customers."
"We have built a strong organization led by an experienced, proven management team," said Susan G. Swenson,
Leap's president and chief operating officer. "In addition to operating our existing markets, our team launched 29
new markets in a single year with 14 of them being launched in the fourth quarter -- a true accomplishment. With
nearly 1,800 employees, our team ended the year with 27 switches and approximately 2,200 cell sites, 100 Cricket
retail locations and 5,000 indirect retail locations across the country. As our company continues to fully transition
from launch to operational mode, we look forward to continuing to grow our business prudently and
cost-effectively as we deliver innovative, affordable wireless services to the mass consumer market."
Leap expects to report other results and to provide guidance for 2002 during its fourth quarter conference call on
Feb. 11, 2002. Further details on the conference call will be provided at a later date.
SOURCE Leap Wireless International, Inc. CONTACT: Jessica Levy, Media Relations of Bock Communications,
Inc., +1-714-540-1030, jlevy@bockpr.com, for Leap Wireless International, Inc.; or Sarah Thailing, Media
Relations, +1-858-882-6018, sthailing@leapwireless.com, or Jim Seines, Investor Relations, +1-858-882-6084,
jseines@leapwireless.com, both of Leap Wireless International, Inc.
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