Can government subsidies help Sprint Nextel (S) bounce back? Perhaps so, in a way you may not think.
Sprint, which reported fourth-quarter earnings on Thursday, seems to be having success with its Assurance Wireless brand, a prepaid offering. Sprint launched the government-subsidized Assurance program in early 2010. Sprint now markets the Assurance brand in 22 states and Washington, D.C.
Sprint expanded the Assurance brand to Pennsylvania today.
According to Assurance Wireless’ website, low-income families that qualify for food stamps, Medicaid, or some state-funded programs can apply to get wireless phone services from Sprint through the Universal Service Fund, a federal taxpayer funded program that for the most part subsidizes phone services in rural areas.
Low-income people that qualify can get a free cell phone, along with 250 minutes of voice service every month.
Sprint has won praise from some public interest groups. Investors aren’t sure about the impact of Assurance Wireless, though. It apparently helped Sprint sign up more prepaid customers in 2010, but Sprint’s average monthly revenue per subscriber, or ARPU took a hit as a result of more lower-spending customers being on the rolls.
for full article: http://blogs.investors.com/click/index.php/home/60-tech/2284-got-food-stamps-get-free-sprint-wireless-services
7 comments
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February 15, 2011 at 3:52 am
gumply
Goes right along with free internet services!
February 15, 2011 at 3:53 pm
Interested Bystander
Hey All,
It’s not just cellphones.
Welfare seems to be a way of life for some people.
And in this case, it seems to be “paying” off pretty well:
http://atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com/atlas_shrugs/2010/08/obamaland-the-welfare-state-and-the-road-to-serfdom.html
February 15, 2011 at 4:10 pm
Interested Bystander
JAMES,
Wondering of you had read this article about the Black anther case in Philly?
http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/stop-the-presses/
Maybe I’m wrong, but I think this is a big deal. I’d like to know why the media spends so much time on misinforming the public about Obama’s eligibility, and so little time reporting how our liberties are being taken away?
It never ceases to amaze me how when all you do is ask a question, it becomes some big deal to the media reporting how people don’t have “standing”, or something known as the “de facto officer doctrine”.
I believe it was the President who uttered the words “The only people who don’t want to disclose the truth, are people with something to hide”.
So why won’t he disclose the truth?
But to get back to the Black Panther issue, we have a RIGHT to vote. The DOJ is stopping an investigation, when all of the evidence so far show that the intimidators were guilty of violating voters RIGHTS. The DOJ (according to the article) has requested their employees NOT cooperate with investigators?
And now they are discontinuing the investigation all together?
What has our once GREAT Country come to?
Our Government is more corrupt than we could ever imagine. And they do it right in front of us, and we don’t even “bat an eye”.
February 15, 2011 at 8:32 pm
gumply
How sickening they don’t care how much they trample on our Constitution.
February 16, 2011 at 2:57 pm
Interested Bystander
Hey All,
Please, someone reply back as to how our DOJ could stop an investigation in to this man:
February 17, 2011 at 3:41 pm
JAMES
I am trying to catch up on these things now.
September 18, 2011 at 9:32 pm
alternative world news
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