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Cricket Wireless

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Cricket Communications
Company typeSubsidiary of Leap Wireless
IndustryWireless Services
Founded1999
HeadquartersSan Diego, CA
WebsiteCricket Communications

Cricket Communications, Inc. founded in 1999, provides wireless services to about 4.6 million customers in all US states.[1] The company is a subsidiary of Leap Wireless, utilizing its CDMA 1X and 1xEV-DO networks. Leap Wireless owns and operates the seventh largest wireless telecommunications network in the United States, behind Verizon Wireless, AT&T Mobility, Sprint Nextel, T-Mobile USA, MetroPCS, and U.S. Cellular. Cricket uses a flat rate billing method, offering rate plans from $35 to $60 (estimate) per month before taxes by way of month-to-month contracts only; it does not require credit checks or long-term service contracts as other service providers in the U.S. The company recently launched the first Advanced Wireless Services network, in Oklahoma City. The company also went nationwide with roaming agreements on March 23, 2010.[2]

History

  • 2004: Cricket's parent company emerged from bankruptcy.[4]
  • May 5, 2005: Cricket customers now have the option of roaming outside of their home market with "Travel Time".[5]
  • September 4, 2007: Competing carrier MetroPCS announced a $5.3 billion bid to merge with Leap Wireless .[6] Leap informally rejected the bid less than two weeks later.[7] MetroPCS officially withdrew the bid less than two months later, on November 1, 2007.[8]
  • September 17, 2007: Cricket launched Wireless Broadband Service using EV-DO.[9]
  • December 12, 2007: Cricket agreed to acquire Hargray Communications Group's wireless telecommunications business.[10]
  • September 29, 2008: Cricket announced that they had entered into a 10 year roaming agreement with MetroPCS covering both companies' existing and future markets. The companies also entered into a spectrum exchange agreement covering licenses in certain markets, (with Leap acquiring an additional 10 MHz of spectrum in San Diego, Fresno, Seattle and certain other Washington and Oregon markets, and MetroPCS acquiring an additional 10 MHz of spectrum in Dallas-Ft. Worth, Shreveport-Bossier City, Lakeland-Winter Haven, Florida and certain other North Texas markets). The companies said that they have settled all outstanding litigation between them[12]
  • November 13, 2008: Cricket launched "Premium Extended Coverage", a roaming partnership with 14 wireless companies to provide Cricket customers with a larger unlimited cellular footprint.[13]
  • February 2009: Cricket launches in Chicago. Making it the biggest market to ever launch since Cricket was formed in 1999.[citation needed]
  • March 10, 2009: Cricket launches in the Philadelphia market, including suburbs such as Atlantic City, NJ and Wilmington, DE, with a market total of 6.3 million POPs.[14]
  • April 22, 2009: Cricket launches phone recycling program.[14]
  • August, 2009: Leap announces quarter 2 reports of 203,000 net customer additions and now have about 4.5 million customers.[14]
  • August 19, 2009: Cricket looking for federal grant for wireless broadband.[14]
  • September 3, 2009: Cricket introduces durable MOTO VE465.[14]
  • September 4, 2009: Merger talk starting back up for Leap, MetroPCS and rumored about AT&T Mobility .[14]
  • September 4, 2009: Cricket testing 10GB broadband plan.[14]
  • September 17, 2009: Cricket to integrate monthly plans into PAYGo.[14]
  • September 23, 2009: Cricket releases low-priced CAPTR.[14]
  • September 28, 2009: Cricket upgrades domain name. (mycricket.com) [14]
  • October 1, 2009: Cricket PAYGo headed to Target.[14]
  • October 12, 2009: Cricket says no to Android, yes to mPortal.[14]
  • October 29, 2009: Cricket adds LG Helix to handset lineup.[14]
  • November 2, 2009: Cricket adds text messaging option to $1 PAYGo plan.[14]
  • November 5, 2009: Cricket adds $25 plan to compete with MetroPCS 30 dollar plan.[14]
  • November 5, 2009: Cricket sees slow growth in subscribers; they added 116,000 subscribers and now have 4.65 million subscribers.[14]
  • April 13, 2010: Cricket launched Cricket Navigator, a GPS application that offers audible turn-by-turn navigation, hyper-local search and maps.[16]
  • August 2010: Cricket and Sprint signed a five year wholesale agreement (MVNO) that allows Cricket to utilize Sprint's 3G network throughout the U.S. As part of the agreement, Cricket made commitments to deliver minimum levels of revenues to Sprint. Cricket will offer products and services using Sprint's 3G network coverage throughout August 2015.
  • August 12, 2010: Cricket will be the launch operator for the Kyocera Rio low cost touch phone.[17]

Smartphones

In 2010, Cricket announced it will debut two new smartphones to their wireless lineup. The Sanyo Zio (Zi-O) by Kyocera is Cricket and Kyocera's first Android phone. The phone runs on Cricket's 3G EVDO network, and has Wi-Fi capabilities. It currently utilizes Android 1.6. Cricket said they would provide an update to Android 2.1 [18] which is anticipated to be available in January or February 2011. The other available smart phone is the Blackberry Curve 8530, which will work on Cricket's EVDO network.

Since the release of these phones, Cricket has added the Huawei Ascend which runs Android 2.1. It is the lowest-priced Android phone without a contract.[19]

Current Phones

Phones that are currently available from Cricket's website.

  • Sanyo Zio by Kyocera (Android Smartphone)
  • Huawei Ascend (Android Smartphone)
  • BlackBerry Curve 8530 (BlackBerry Smartphone)
  • Samsung Messager Touch (Black or White)
  • Cricket TXTM8 3G
  • Cricket MSGM8 II
  • Cricket CAPTR II
  • Samsung Stunt
  • Kyocera Domino
  • Motorola VE465

Coverage area

Cricket covers about 95% of the United States using home network and roaming agreemeents with Sprint and MetroPCS among others, and has broadband coverage in most major metropolitan areas.

Cricket offers 3G products and services using Sprint's EVDO network.

Wireless Internet

Cricket's (and all other wireless carriers) wireless broadband internet service does not always run at advertised speeds. Cricket's unlimited broadband internet service is not limited (i.e. there is no additional cost) even if the 2.5GB, 5GB or 7.5GB 'Limits' per monthly billing cycle are exceeded. However Cricket may throttle bandwidth if these limits are exceeded based on a 30 day usage measurement. They may also throttle bandwidth to slightly slower speeds during times of high demand in any particular area.

See also

  • Jump Mobile Prepaid Carrier on the Cricket/Leap network, Also owned by Leap.
  • Leap Wireless Parent Company
  • MetroPCS A cell phone provider and partner with a similar business model.
  • Pocket Communications A regional operator competing with Cricket in Southern Texas.
  • Revol Wireless A regional operator similar in concept to Cricket and operating on parts of its networks.

References

  1. ^ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_mobile_network_operators_of_the_Americas#United_States
  2. ^ http://www.prepaidreviews.com/blog/cricket/cricket-expands-network-to-cover-more-of-the-country-36046/
  3. ^ a b "About". Leap Wireless. Retrieved 2009-08-27.
  4. ^ "Leap Wireless - Media Relations - Press Release" (Press release). Phx.corporate-ir.net. Retrieved 2009-08-27.
  5. ^ http://www.mycricket.com/press/press-release/Cricket-Launches-Travel-Time-
  6. ^ Humer, Caroline (2007-09-04). "MetroPCS bids $5.3 billion for Leap Wireless". Reuters. Retrieved 2008-05-09.
  7. ^ "Leap Rejects MetroPCS Merger Offer". TheStreet.com. 2007-09-16. Retrieved 2008-05-09.
  8. ^ Dano, Mike (2007-11-01). "Metro ditches bid for Leap". RCR Wireless News. Retrieved 2008-05-09.
  9. ^ "Leap Wireless - Media Relations - Press Release" (Press release). Phx.corporate-ir.net. 2007-09-17. Retrieved 2009-08-27.
  10. ^ "Leap Wireless - Media Relations - Press Release" (Press release). Phx.corporate-ir.net. Retrieved 2009-08-27.
  11. ^ "Leap Wireless - Media Relations - Press Release" (Press release). Phx.corporate-ir.net. Retrieved 2009-08-27.
  12. ^ "Leap Wireless - Media Relations - Press Release" (Press release). Phx.corporate-ir.net. Retrieved 2009-08-27.
  13. ^ "Leap Wireless - Media Relations - Press Release" (Press release). Phx.corporate-ir.net. 2008-11-13. Retrieved 2009-08-27.
  14. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q http://www.prepaidreviews.com/blog/category/cricket/
  15. ^ Mccracken, Jeffrey; Sheth, Niraj (February 2, 2010). "Leap Wireless Seeks a Buyer". The Wall Street Journal.
  16. ^ http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/home/permalink/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20100420005670&newsLang=en
  17. ^ Kyocera Rio E3100 Coming Soon!, PhoneWebZ
  18. ^ http://www.intomobile.com/2010/08/21/android-powered-sanyo-zio-by-kyocera-now-available-on-cricket/
  19. ^ http://www.mycricket.com/smartphones

Prepaid Reviews Blog Cricket [1]

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