boost mobile

Boost Mobile is an Irvine, CA brand of mobile phone 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. Nextel Communications (now Sprint Nextel) brought the brand to the United States in 2002 and owns 100% of the American division of Boost Mobile. Prior to launching Boost Mobile, Nextel primarily focused on the business market. Following the closure of the Sprint Corporation and Nextel Communications merger in August, 2005 Boost Mobile announced that they currently have more than 3.1 million customers.

Boost Mobile's latest American advertising campaign features Fat Joe, Eve, Travis Barker, Kanye West, Ludacris, Richard "Rip" Hamilton, Nick Cannon and The Game and uses the slogan "Where you at?"

Technical Info

In the US, Boost Mobile uses Sprint Nextel's iDEN network with special Motorola iDEN phones that are unique to Boost. Like its contract-based cousin, the prime feature of Boost Mobile is the hallmark walkie talkie feature ("push-to-talk" or "PTT") that the iDEN network is built around.

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. The converse (inserting a Nextel contract SIM into a Boost Mobile handset) is not possible, however, unless the Boost Mobile handset is first unlocked using a data cable and the appropriate software (note that modifying the handset's Master Subsidy Lock (MSL) probably violates the Boost Mobile service contracts and could result in contract termination and associated penalties).

Sprint to halt Boost's growth: According to www.phonescoop.com, Sprint COO Len Lauer said that the carrier will make changes to halt the growth of its youth-focused MVNO Boost. Boost is outpacing Sprint growth, and is getting large enough that it will soon put a strain on Sprint's iDEN network. The iDEN network is already under pressure because Sprint was asked to give up a portion of its iDEN spectrum to the FCC in order to create clear public safety bands. The growing population of Boost users are straining the shrunken network even further, and Sprint would prefer that the limited capacity was used to serve Nextel customers, who typically pay more per month to use iDEN handsets. Sprint has not detailed how they will curtail Boost's growth, however Sprint previously announced another initiative that should thin out Nextel's crowded 800 MHz spectrum. The carrier intends to launch dual mode handsets that use CDMA for voice and data calls, and only relies on iDEN for Push To Talk. Sprint's first dual mode handset, the ic502, has already been cleared by the FCC.

Boost Mobile in New Zealand piggy-backs off of Telecom New Zealand's nationwide CDMA 1xRTT and CDMA EVDO network.

Boost Mobile (USA) Phones:

i875 Key Features- 1.3 Megapixel Camera, Video Record, Walkie Talkie, MP3 Music Player, Bluetooth, removable Transflash Memory Card, Speaker, GPS

i855 Key Features- VGA Digital Camera, Walkie Talkie, MP3 Ringtone, Speaker, GPS, Audio Recording

i835 Key Features- Walkie Talkie, Speaker, GPS, Voice Ringtones

i450 Key Features- Walkie Talkie, Speaker, GPS, Voice Ringtones, Picture Viewer

i415 Key Features- Walkie Talkie, Speaker, GPS, Picture Viewer, Voice Ringtones

Boost Mobile (USA) Phone Services:

Boost Premium Prepaid, Pay as you go, Calltones (what people hear while waiting for you to pick up), Boost Hookt (dating), and Boost Loopt (location sharing for GPS enabled phones)

Please see boostmobile.com for full pricing details.

Trivia

• Boost Mobile's "Boost Premium Prepaid" service is modeled after the competing GoPhone service from Cingular Wireless.
• 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. In this episode, the character Master Shake made a deal with Boost Mobile that he would add a talking Boost Mobile Phone to the cast. Frylock eventually finds out and kills it, at which point many more Phones appear to kill Master Shake.

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 a number of skateboarders, including Terry Kennedy, Geoff Rowley, and Tosh Townend.

See also

Other prepaid wireless serivce providers

• Cingular Wireless GoPhone
• INpulse by Verizon
• TracFone Wireless
• Virgin Mobile
  • Virgin Mobile USA

External links

• Boost Mobile U.S. web site
• Boost Mobile Australia web site
• Boost Mobile New Zealand web site