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Cricket Launches Nationwide Voice Service Through Roaming Agreement With Sprint, Others – $30/Month Unlimited

Phillip Dampier March 24, 2010 Wireless Broadband 4 Comments

Cricket, the mobile provider best known for its urban and youth-targeted commercials, Tuesday launched nationwide “talk and text” service through a new roaming agreement with Sprint and others that delivers unlimited calling for $30 a month.

That’s $10 a month cheaper than any other prepaid nationwide unlimited plan currently available in the United States.  Competitors MetroPCS, which owns its own network charges $40 a month for unlimited service, and TracFone Wireless’ Straight Talk, which uses Verizon Wireless’ network, costs $45 a month.

The other players in the prepaid market will have to match Cricket or face the consequences.

However, Cricket’s new calling plan and extended roaming service agreements do not include mobile broadband coverage.  Cricket provides that service through its own CDMA network providing a mix of 1X and 3G coverage, primarily in its home markets.

Cricket’s “talk and text” expansion means more than 125 U.S. cities can now sign up for Cricket service.  Most of those cities will actually depend on Sprint’s cell towers to place and receive calls.  Cricket subscribers also benefit from the expanded roaming capabilities the company now offers, although customers should verify coverage carefully before signing up.  Using a designated “roaming area” will set you back 25 cents per minute.

For customers choosing service plans of $40 or more, Cricket now offers unlimited international long distance calling to landlines in select cities and towns in more than 100 countries (including unlimited calls to landlines in Mexico) and unlimited text messages to Mexico for an additional $15 a month.

“We believe our nationwide coverage and enhanced service plan structure represents the highest value offer in the wireless marketplace,” said Al Moschner, executive vice president and chief operating officer for Cricket. “Cricket continues to deliver greater value by providing a diversified portfolio of products and payment options and now offers and supports those products everywhere our customers live, work and travel. Each of these new service plans positions the Cricket brand as the wireless leader in the unlimited, no-contract segment of the wireless industry.”

Existing Cricket customers need to contact customer service to switch rate plans if they wish to take advantage of “nationwide talk and text coverage.”  For most customers, there is no change in rates — just a change in their plan designation.

Cricket's new national coverage map (click to enlarge)

All new rate plans include nationwide talk coverage. Changes to previous rate plans are noted below:

Previously Included Now Also Includes
$30 Basic Plan Unlimited Local Talk Unlimited Long Distance
Nationwide Talk Coverage

$40 More Plan Unlimited Local Talk
Unlimited Long Distance
Unlimited Text & Picture Messaging
Unlimited Mexico Text
Caller-ID
Call-Waiting
Three-way Calling
Voicemail
Unlimited Video Messaging
Unlimited Mobile Web
Unlimited 411
Call-Forwarding
Nationwide Talk & Text Coverage
$50 All Plan Above Features +
Unlimited Mobile Web
Unlimited 411
Unlimited Email
Int’l Text
Call-Forwarding
Data Backup
30 Nationwide Roaming Minutes
Unlimited Video Messaging
Cricket Navigation
Nationwide Talk & Text Coverage
$60 Premium Plan Above Features +
200 Nationwide Roaming Minutes
Unlimited Video Messaging
Mobile Video
Cricket Navigation
100 Nationwide Roaming Minutes
Nationwide Talk & Text Coverage
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Ian L
13 years ago

I’m rather confused about CricKet’s claim that their network is bigger than Boost Mobile’s, since Boost uses Sprint’s CDMA network for some of its phones. Does CricKet actually provide service where Sprint doesn’t?!?

Audrey
Audrey
13 years ago

Unreliable. I’ve tried them before and coverage was poor.

I think I will stick with my NET10 phone which may not be unlimited, but I pay $15 a month for my usage. Why on earth pay more just to say I’ve got unlimited? These ‘unlimited this’ and ‘unlimited that’ plans just make people spend more. Most people don’t use their phones enough to warrant the cost of unlimited plans.

Ian L
13 years ago
Reply to  Audrey

I know some people who barely use any voice minutes, which this plan (and other unlimited plans) is good at providing. However I also know of people who use a few thousand minutes per month, and for them an unlimited plan would definitely save some serious coin. Unlimited voic doesn’t make sense for everyone (any of my immediate family for example, at least for cell phones) however that doesn’t mean that other people can’t benefit from that pricing tier 🙂

J
J
13 years ago

Boost is IDEN on the Sprint network. Cricket should now have same coverage area as Sprint regular phones

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