Virgin Mobileicon USA Loves Three Ways ... To Pay As You Go
Monday July 11, 7:49 am ET

New 'Month2Month' Offer Means Virgin Mobileicon Now Fits Everyone from Motor Mouths to Wallflowers, Without Having to Sign a Long-Term Contract

WARREN, N.J., July 11 /PRNewswire/ -- Virgin Mobileicon USA today debuted a third new way to Pay As You Go. Called "Month2Month," the new offer adjusts to a customer's usage each month without all the hassles of a long-term contract. This announcement comes at a time when, according to wireless analyst Roger Entner of Ovum, industry forecasts estimate that more than 50 million people in the U.S. will be on prepaid wireless services by 2010.

"Following our recent roll-out of Day2Day, the introduction of Month2Month means mobile phone users no longer need a long-term contract to get one of the best deals in wireless," said Dan Schulman, Virgin Mobile USA CEO.

Unlike traditional contract plans, Month2Month customers are not forced to guess what their future usage patterns will be and pick the right "bucket" of minutes. Month2Month automatically optimizes a customer's monthly bill based on their usage, and begins the next month at the same low cost regardless of the previous month's charges.

Customers who choose Month2Month start out at 300 minutes for just $29.99**. If a customer needs more talk time, Month2Month adds more minutes by automatically adjusting up one level for $10. Customers can pay as little as little as 4-cents per minute if they are a big talker and adjust up to the third level. As with all Virgin Mobile service offerings, Month2Month requires no long-term contract, no fees to get started and no fees to end the service at any time.

The new offer joins Virgin Mobile's original "Minute2Minute" pricing, where customers pay 25 cents for the first ten minutes of each day and just ten cents thereafter, and the recently-launched "Day2Day" offer -- which gives users 10-cent minutes all the time for just 35 cents per day.

Together, these three offerings represent the broadest range of wireless services in the Pay As You Go category, covering a wide variety of usage types. Of course, all Virgin Mobile customers are free to move between services at any time, allowing them to live their wireless lifestyle on their own terms.

The Monthly Wireless Service, Without a Long-term Contract

Month2Month is based on simple levels with increasing numbers of minutes. As a customer needs more minutes in a given month, they're automatically adjusted up to the next level. Here's how it works:

* A customer starts Month2Month paying $29.99** for 150 anytime minutes
and 150 night/weekend minutes.
* He or she will automatically adjust-up for just $10.00** more if
additional anytime minutes are needed.
* The first level is 150 anytime minutes and 150 night/weekend minutes,
the second level is 100 anytime minutes and 350 night/weekend minutes,
and the third level is 100 anytime minutes and 500 night/weekend
minutes.
* All night and weekend minutes can be carried from level to level, and
they're good through the end of each month.
* Additional anytime minutes after the third level are 20 cents a piece
charged $10 at a time.
* At the beginning of the next month, a customer's bill automatically
drops back down to $29.99 and the cycle starts again.
* Anytime minutes can be used between 7am and 9pm Monday-Friday; nighttime
minutes can be used Monday-Thursday from 9pm-7am; and weekends start at
9pm on Friday and end at 7am Monday.

"Sixty-seven percent of U.S. respondents said they'd be interested in a wireless service offering this kind of flexible pricing, according to recent NOP World national survey," said Schulman. "Clearly, people are tired of guessing what plan they need and then either paying for overages or paying for unused monthly minutes. We're giving customers what they want."

3 Ways Are Better

In the same NOP World national study, wireless customers reported they left an average of 235 minutes unused per month. With over 187.7 million wireless users currently in the U.S. (according to Yankee Group Q1 05), this totals to more than 44 billion wasted minutes each month!

"People have trouble optimizing their wireless plans when they have to choose between 'buckets' of minutes," said Schulman. "It isn't a coincidence that these are also the most profitable customers for wireless companies."

With 3 great ways to Pay As You Go, Virgin Mobile is helping its customers to find the ideal match for how much they use their phone -- without outrageous overages or long-term commitments.

* Month2Month - A wireless plan with no strings attached, Month2Month
gives Virgin Mobile customers using 300 minutes or more each month its
best rates with a low starting price of just $29.99** -- and then
adjusts to their minute use, adding more minutes whenever a customer
needs them.

* Day2Day - Customers get 10-cent minutes all day long for just 35-cents
each day. This totals to just $10.50 every 30 days for the base fee --
a much better offer compared to companies that chargeicon $.99 a day for the
10-cent privilege.

* Minute2Minute - Virgin Mobile's original pricing platform, where
customers pay 25 cents per minute for the first 10 minutes of each day,
followed by just 10 cents a minute for the rest of the day.
Minute2Minute is one of the best offers in the wireless market for
customers using fewer minutes.

Month2Month is already available for both existing and new Virgin Mobile customers on the Virgin Mobile USA Web site, and will be available at major retailers across the US starting July 10. Details can be found at http://www.virginmobileusa.com, where customers can also get help determining which of 3 great ways to Pay As You Go best fits their style.

** plus taxes and surcharges related to regulatory costs

About Virgin Mobile USA, LLC:

Launched nationally in July of 2002, Virgin Mobile USA, LLC is the nation's first mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) and first wireless carrier exclusively focused on the youth market. Virgin Mobile is a joint venture between Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Group and Sprinticon, which operates one of the largest 100-percent digital, nationwide PCS wireless networks in the United States. In just two-and-one-half years, more than three million wireless users have rejected long-term contracts and taken control of their wireless spending with Virgin Mobile's Pay As You Go service. Virgin Mobile customers have exclusive access to VirginXtras and VirginXL- a suite of music, entertainment and fun lifestyle features, including *MTV mobile content created by our strategic partner MTV: Music Television. In addition, J.D. Power and Associates has recognized Virgin Mobile for providing "An Outstanding Customer Service Experience" under its Certified Call Center Program.(SM)

Phones are available at more than 20,000 locations nationwide with Top-Up cards available at more than 60,000 locations nationwide. Virgin Mobile products can also be purchased online at http://www.virginmobileusa.com or by calling 888-322-1122.

Virgin Mobile USA Loves Three Ways ... To Pay As You Go