Cricket Wireless, the budget mobile network powered by (and owned by) AT&T, has released a new unlimited data plan. The $40/month ‘Simply Unlimited’ plan gives you all the calling, texting, and data you could need, but not much beyond that.
Cricket Wireless already had a mix of data-capped and unlimited plans, with the $30/month 5GB plan at the low end, and the $60/month unlimited plan with hotspot data at the high end. The carrier also has some multi-month plans with discounted rates, but none of those include hotspot access. The new $40/month Simply Unlimited tier fits roughly in the middle of Cricket’s offerings.
Simply Unlimited gives you unlimited calls, texts, and data on AT&T’s nationwide 5G network. That includes access to Sub-6GHz and mmWave 5G where available—some carriers still block those on budget plans—which is labelled as ‘5G+’ by AT&T and Cricket. The cost is $40/mo for one line, $65/mo for two lines, $90/mo for three lines, $100/mo for four lines, and so on.
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However, unlimited data is all you get with this plan. There’s no hotspot/tethering support, no international usage, no included streaming services, or anything else. You can call, text, and stream to your heart’s desire, and that’s the end of it. Cricket’s $55/mo Unlimited plan is still the cheapest plan with the option to add hotspot service as an additional fee, and the $60/mo Unlimited + 16GB Hotspot Data plan is the only one with hotspot service included.
Cricket also mentions that the new plan “may temporarily slow data speeds if network is busy,” meaning it’s on a lower network priority than the highest $60/month plan and most AT&T customers. That should only be an issue in densely populated areas, though.
The new plan seems like a great potential option if AT&T has excellent coverage in your area, but it still falls behind some of the competition on value. Visible from Verizon has unlimited data with unlimited hotspot for as low as $25/month, with more expensive plans available to boost speeds. There’s also Boost Mobile with a 30GB plan for $25/month (and hotspot as an additional $10/month), or a $40/month plan with 40GB of data and hotspot included.
You can sign up for Cricket Wireless from the company’s official website—Cricket also has some retail stores, but they charge a $25/line activation fee. The company is also running a deal that gets you two free Galaxy A15 5G phones if you sign up for two lines at $65/month.
Cricket said in a press release, “In a time when customers are looking for greater value, Cricket is stepping up with a commitment to affordability and transparency, without hidden fees or compromises. The introduction of the $40 Simply Unlimited plan invites customers to enjoy unlimited talk, text, and data at an incredible price.”
Source: Cricket Wireless