Sprint Nextel expands Assurance offering to New Jersey

Sprint Nextel Corp.’s (S) Assurance Wireless subsidy said it has expanded its offering to New Jersey, providing eligible customers with a free wireless device and 200 minutes per month of voice service.
Assurance noted that more than 438,000 New Jersey residents are currently unemployed and that 13% of the state’s residents live below the poverty line. Assurance said its federally-subsidized service allows people to have a means of communications for staying in contact with family as well as helping them secure employment.
“With unemployment in New Jersey currently so high, people need to be connected if for no other reason than to be able to apply for and obtain a new job,” said Grace Boehm, director for Assurance Wireless. “Studies have shown that nearly a third of those working say their cell phone has helped them make money, get new work or new customers.”
In addition to the 200 free calling minutes per month, the Assurance service provides free voicemail, call waiting, caller identification and access to 911. Beyond the free 200 minutes, customers can pay for additional 10-cent-per-minute domestic calling, 10-cent text, e-mail or instant messages, and international calling.
Customers eligible for Assurance Wireless include those who participate in Medicaid, Food Stamps/SNAP, Temporary Cash Assistance (TCA/TANF), Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Bureau of Indian Affairs Programs (BIA), Federal Public Housing Assistance (Section 8), Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), or National School Lunch Program’s Free Lunch Program. Customers may also qualify based on low household income.
The Assurance service is also available to customers in Florida, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, New York, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.
The Assurance service is one of a handful of prepaid offerings from Sprint Nextel, including its Boost Mobile, Virgin Mobile and Common Cents offerings. The carrier last month introduced its voice-centric PayLo offering through its Virgin Mobile brand.