Leap Reports Granting of Inducement Awards

Leap Wireless International, Inc. (NASDAQ: LEAP), a leading provider of innovative and value-driven wireless communications services, reported today that it has issued inducement awards to new non-executive employees.

The awards were made on July 14, 2010 under Leap’s 2009 Employment Inducement Equity Incentive Plan, which provides for the granting of equity awards to new employees of Cricket Communications, Inc. as an inducement to join the company. The inducement awards consist of 8,000 shares of restricted stock and options to purchase up to 12,000 shares of Leap common stock. The options have a ten year term and an exercise price equal to the fair market value of Leap common stock on the date of grant. The awards vest in four years, with the shares of restricted stock vesting in 25% equal increments on the second and third anniversaries of the date of grant and 50% on the fourth anniversary of the date of grant, and the options vesting in equal 25% annual increments.

About Leap

Leap provides innovative, high-value wireless services to a fast-growing, young and ethnically diverse customer base. With the value of unlimited wireless services as the foundation of its business, Leap pioneered its Cricket service. The Company and its joint ventures now operate in 35 states and the District of Columbia and hold licenses in 35 of the top 50 U.S. markets. Through its affordable, flat-rate service plans, Cricket offers customers a choice of unlimited voice, text, data and mobile Web services. Headquartered in San Diego, Calif., Leap is traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the ticker symbol "LEAP." For more information, please visit www.leapwireless.com.