Cricket has its cons, but solid reception and reliability aren't among them.Īgain, Cricket's pricing includes all fees, taxes, etc, making it easier to compare and budget. One of the most common complaints about a consumer's mobile coverage is the "can you hear me?" in areas with poor coverage. It's a great security to know that Cricket's coverage reaches 99% of the US population.Įven better is to know that the coverage will be strong and have solid reception in both rural and urban areas. RootMetrics ranks AT&T at 96.3 for coverage and reliability, second only to Verizon at 97.5.īottom line is that T-Mobile and Sprint networks may be comparable in coverage to AT&T, but they simply can't compare to its vast infrastructure and reliability. Cricket, on the other hand, runs off major carrier AT&T. Where the difference comes in is that these other small carriers run off networks owned by T-Mobile or Sprint. Nothing shocking about that price since other carriers of similar size offer alike pricing. Single line plans with 1 GB of data begin at $30 a month. Most consumers list price and coverage as the two most important features when they're selecting a cellular carrier and plan for themselves and/or family.Ĭricket is sporting an A in both categories. Best of all, there aren't any surprise taxes or hidden fees since all the pricing is laid out to be all inclusive. All of Cricket's price and plan options are concise, clear, and easy to navigate online. Shared fancy AT&T infrastructure aside, Cricket is all about simplicity and clarity in service, plans, & pricing. Cricket's 4G HSPA and HSPA+use band 5 and 2 (850Mhz, 1900Mhz). Talk about bang for the buck.Ĭricket uses AT&T band 17 and band 5 (700Mhz, 850Mhz), band 2 and 4 (1900Mhz, 1700/2100Mhz). This means customers get the same extensive 4G LTE network and use the same towers as parent company AT&T provides its customers. Prepaid carriers also particularly helpful to those with low or no credit because prepaid doesn't require the consumer to undergo a credit check.ĪT&T, with a network consistently ranked second in the nation, purchased the company in 2014. A lot of consumers prefer prepaid devices because it allows them to budget and calculate their expensive upfront, avoid overages, have flexibility if plan needs fluctuate, and forgo contracts and leases.