Helio Members Gain New $80 Unlimited Offer
WARREN, N.J., Sept. 9 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- On August 22, 2008,
Virgin Mobile USA completed its acquisition of Helio, the mobile
telecommunications company best known for its advanced mobile services and
exclusive high-end connection devices. Today, Virgin Mobile USA unveiled
its new branding message to highlight the acquisition: "Helio By Virgin
Mobile: Plan To Have It All."
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080909/NYTU050LOGO
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070613/VIRGINMOBILE )
Immediate plans include the launch of the Shuttle, Virgin Mobile USA's
first handset enabled to integrate such Helio services as Buddy Beacon(TM);
and the enhancement of Helio's $80 A La Carte plan, effective today, to
include Unlimited Minutes rather than the current 1500 minute allocation.
The new terms of the Helio A La Carte plan, which mirror Virgin Mobile
USA's Totally Unlimited prepaid voice plan at $79.99, will be available for
current and future Helio members. More information is available at
http://www.helio.com.
"We are bringing our customer-first approach to postpaid with the goal
of empowering our Customers and Members with value, choice, and
flexibility," said Bob Stohrer, Chief Marketing Officer, Virgin Mobile USA.
"These initial steps, delivering the best value in postpaid for Unlimited
calling, are just signals of things to come as we look to make Helio
products and services even more accessible and attractive.
"Helio devices like the Ocean and its brilliant data services are alive
and well, and there will be opportunities in the immediate future for
crossover benefits," he added. "We look forward to revealing how future
integration will allow wireless customers to 'plan to have it all,' and
intend to build the best customer experience overall in wireless, taking
advantage of the best of both companies."
The transition for Helio's approximate 170,000 postpaid members and
Virgin Mobile's 5 million prepaid customers has been seamless. For now, the
two customer care services and sales operations are separate, with further
integration planned over the next several months.
About Virgin Mobile USA
Virgin Mobile USA, Inc. (NYSE: VM), through its operating company
Virgin Mobile USA, L.P., offers more than five million customers control,
flexibility and choice through Virgin Mobile's Plans Without Annual
Contracts and postpaid offerings through Helio By Virgin Mobile, with
national coverage for both powered by the Sprint PCS network.
Virgin Mobile USA is known for its award-winning customer service, and
was recently rated the best prepaid wireless service for the third year in
a row in the Annual PC Magazine Readers' Choice Survey, with 90% of its own
customers reporting satisfaction with its service. Virgin Mobile USA allows
customers to earn free minutes in exchange for viewing advertising content
online through the innovative Sugar Mama program. Virgin Mobile USA's full
slate of smart, stylish and affordable handsets are available at
approximately 40,000 top retailers nationwide and online at
http://www.virginmobileusa.com, with Top-Up cards available at more than 140,000
locations. Helio's advanced devices like the Ocean and unlimited All-in
voice plans can be explored at http://www.helio.com.
About Helio
Helio, LLC, now part of Virgin Mobile USA, has built a reputation as
the mobile brand for the Internet generation with advanced mobile services,
exclusive high-end, connection devices like the Ocean, and integrated
pricing on a nationwide high-speed 3G network. Helio was launched in 2006
as a joint venture between EarthLink and SK Telecom, one of the world's
most advanced wireless carriers and now an investor in Virgin Mobile USA.
For more information, visit http://www.helio.com.
About SK Telecom
SK Telecom (NYSE: SKM, KSE: 017670) is the top wireless communication
provider in Korea, where it has more than 22 million subscribers taking up
more than 50% of the total market. The company established in 1984, reached
KRW 11.28 trillion in revenue in 2007. SK telecom was the first to launch
and commercialize CDMA, CDMA 2001x, CDMA EV-DO and HSDPA networks, and it
currently provides cellular, wireless internet, mobile media, global
roaming service and more. For more information, please visit
http://www.sktelecom.com or email to press@sktelecom.com.
Safe Harbor Statement
This press release contains certain forward-looking statements and
information relating to us that are based on the beliefs of our management
as well as assumptions made by, and information currently available to, us.
These statements include, but are not limited to, statements about our
strategies, plans, objectives, expectations, intentions, expenditures, and
assumptions and other statements contained in this document that are not
historical facts. When used in this press release, words such as
"anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "plan," "project"
and similar expressions, as they relate to us are intended to identify
forward-looking statements. These statements reflect our current views with
respect to future events, are not guarantees of future performance, and
involve risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict. Further,
certain forward-looking statements are based upon assumptions as to future
events that may not prove to be accurate.
Many factors could cause our actual results, performance or
achievements to be materially different from any future results,
performance or achievements that may be expressed or implied by such
forward-looking statements. The potential risks and uncertainties that
could cause actual results to differ from the results predicted include,
among others, those risks and uncertainties discussed in our filings with
the Securities and Exchange Commission, copies of which are available on
our investor relations website at
http://investorrelations.virginmobileusa.com and on the SEC website at
http://www.sec.gov. In addition, factors that could cause actual results to
differ from those projected include, but are not limited to, the following:
(1) the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstances that could
give rise to the termination of the transaction agreement, (2) the
inability to complete the transactions due to the failure to satisfy
conditions to the completion of the transactions, including the expiration
of the waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements
Act of 1976, if applicable, and the failure to receive other required
regulatory approvals, including approvals from the Federal Communications
Commission, (3) risks that the proposed transactions disrupt current plans
and operations and the potential difficulties in employee retention as a
result of the transactions, (4) the ability to recognize the results of the
transactions, (5) the amount of the costs, fees, expenses and charges
related to the transactions, and (6) risks that Helio or any other
companies we may acquire could have undiscovered liabilities, may strain
our management capabilities or may be difficult to integrate.
We neither intend nor assume any obligation to update these
forward-looking statements, which speak only as of their dates.
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SOURCE Virgin Mobile USA, Inc.
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Related links:
http://www.virginmobileusa.com
http://investorrelations.virginmobileusa.com
http://www.helio.com http://www.sktelecom.com
Photo Notes:
NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080909/NYTU050LOGO
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070613/VIRGINMOBILE
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
CONTACT:
Media, Jayne Wallace, +1-908-607-4014,
jayne.wallace@virginmobileusa.com, or Investors, Erica Bolton,
+1-908-607-4108, erica.bolton@virginmobileusa.com, both of Virgin
Mobile USA
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