Cricket Wireless

What Cricket Wireless does

Cricket Wireless LLC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of AT&T Inc. that operates as a Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO), reselling AT&T's nationwide 5G, 4G LTE, and 3G network under a no-contract prepaid brand. Originally founded in 1999 and acquired by AT&T in 2014 as part of its $1.2 billion purchase of Leap Wireless International, Cricket is headquartered in Atlanta with corporate/legal seat in Dallas, Texas, and operates exclusively in the United States. Its core offering is prepaid mobile service with no annual contracts, no credit checks, and no overage charges, priced from $25/month (BYOD unlimited on multi-line) to $60/month (Supreme Unlimited with 15GB hotspot and Mexico/Canada roaming), alongside tiered data plans ranging from 5GB/$30 to 150GB/$90, and multi-month prepaid commitments (3-month at $120, 12-month at $300, BYOD 12-month at $240) sold online only. The company also distributes Apple, Samsung, and Motorola smartphones, Apple Watch smartwatches, and the Cricket GoLink 5G hotspot through cricketwireless.com and an authorized retailer network, with free 2-business-day shipping on direct orders.

The revenue model is subscription-recurring prepaid wireless billing, complemented by hardware/device sales, a device-financing program (Cricket Phone Upgrade Plus), and ancillary fee-based services including Cricket Protect device protection, Bridge Pay billing extension, Cricket Passport international roaming ($10/day or $25 for 5GB/5 days across 200+ countries), international calling, mobile hotspot, and Cricket Call Defense fraud/spam blocking. The company serves three named segments: value-conscious consumers and families/multi-line households (primary, with 4-line pricing at $25/month each with Auto Pay) and international travelers (secondary, via Cricket Passport and International Calling). Cricket acquires customers through port-in promotions (free Galaxy A37 5G, free Galaxy A17 5G, free iPhone 16e with Supreme Unlimited commitment), a Refer-a-Friend program paying $25 to both parties up to $250/year, and the tryCricket 14-day network-trial mobile app on iOS and Android; distribution extends through authorized retail stores, a dealer program, and third-party retailers such as Best Buy.

Cricket's competitive moat rests largely on AT&T's parental network infrastructure and authorized retail footprint — Cricket carries no spectrum or cell-site capex burden itself. Operating leverage, brand recognition, and multi-channel distribution offset what is structurally low customer switching cost in the prepaid segment. Compliance posture covers CCPA, CPRA, Colorado, Connecticut, Nevada, Virginia, Utah, Rhode Island privacy laws, Maine ISP restrictions, FCC RF-exposure standards, and CAN-SPAM, reflecting the regulated nature of US consumer wireless.

Name

Cricket Wireless

Legal name

Cricket Wireless LLC

Website

https://cricketwireless.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Cricket Wireless is an AT&T-owned prepaid mobile virtual network operator serving US value-conscious consumers and families with no-contract unlimited and data plans, devices, and multi-line savings on AT&T's nationwide 5G network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wireless Telecommunications Services

NAICS

Telecommunications Resellers and Agents for Wireless Telecommunication Services (51712)

SIC

Radiotelephone Communications (4812)

akta.pro primary industry

Mobile Carrier Devices & Bundling (Operator-branded devices, subsidy/bundle programs) (CRACALAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Wireless ISPs (WISPs) & Fixed Wireless Access Providers (HDAIADAD)

Keywords

• Prepaid wireless service
• Mobile virtual network operator
• 5G cellular plans
• No-contract phone plans
• MVNO telecommunications

Headquarters

HQ city

Atlanta

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Monthly Wireless Service Plans: Cricket generates primary revenue through prepaid monthly wireless service plans billed on a subscription basis. Plans range from $25/month for basic BYOD unlimited to $60/month for premium Supreme Unlimited. Multi-line discounts are available, with 4 lines at $25/mo each.
2. Multi-Month Prepaid Plans: Prepaid plans requiring full payment upfront for 3-month ($120-$120) or 12-month ($300) periods, offering discounted effective monthly rates. New customer promotional rates available for first-time subscribers.
3. Device Sales: Revenue from selling smartphones, feature phones, smartwatches, and accessories including Apple iPhone, Samsung Galaxy, and Motorola devices. Device payment plans available through Cricket Phone Upgrade Plus.
4. International Add-On Services: Cricket Passport add-on for international roaming ($10/day unlimited or $25 for 5GB/5days) and international calling features generate additional revenue from travelers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Cricket Wireless is a Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) that resells AT&T's nationwide 5G, 4G LTE, and 3G wireless network under a prepaid, no-contract model. It sells monthly and multi-month wireless service plans (unlimited and data-tier options), smartphones, smartwatches, and mobile hotspots directly to consumers through its website, mobile apps, and authorized retail stores. The core promise is affordable, no-credit-check wireless service with flexible plan changes and BYOD (Bring Your Own Phone) support.

Product overview

Cricket Wireless is a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) subsidiary of AT&T, offering prepaid wireless phone service on the AT&T 5G network without annual contracts. The product portfolio consists of multiple unlimited and data-based mobile plans (Supreme Unlimited, Smart Unlimited, Select Unlimited, Simply Unlimited, multi-month prepaid plans, and BYOD options) as well as device protection and financing services (Cricket Protect, Cricket Phone Upgrade Plus, Bridge Pay). International services include Cricket Passport for roaming in 200+ countries and International Calling. Account management is facilitated through the myCricket app and website. The company sells devices including smartphones (Apple iPhone, Samsung Galaxy, Motorola), smartwatches (Apple Watch), and mobile hotspots (Cricket GoLink 5G). Device promotions frequently offer free or discounted phones with plan subscriptions. The service operates exclusively on AT&T's network infrastructure, providing nationwide 5G coverage.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Wireless Service Plans Prepaid monthly wireless service plans with no annual contracts and no credit checks, providing unlimited or capped data, talk, and text on AT&T's nationwide 5G/4G LTE network. Multi-line family pricing available up to 5 lines.
• Multi-Month Prepaid Plans Discounted prepaid service plans paid in full upfront for 3 or 12 months, offering reduced effective monthly rates for budget-conscious customers. Non-refundable and changeable only in the last 30 days.
• Cricket Protect Add-on device protection service covering Cricket smartphones against damage, loss, and malfunction for subscribers.
• Cricket Phone Upgrade Plus Device financing program allowing eligible customers to upgrade to a new premium phone with a $5/month add-on paid over 24 months, generating a $200 credit toward the device.
• Bridge Pay Bill payment extension add-on providing an additional 7 days past the due date to pay the monthly service bill before service interruption.
• Cricket Passport International roaming add-on for travelers offering either unlimited daily usage or a 5GB/5-day data bundle in 200+ countries, available on compatible Cricket plans.
• International Calling International long-distance calling feature enabling Cricket customers to place voice calls to 200+ countries and territories from the United States.
• Smartphones (Apple, Samsung, Motorola) Retail device lineup of new and promotional smartphones from Apple, Samsung, and Motorola sold alongside Cricket service plans, including flagship, mid-tier, and budget models.
• Smartwatches (Apple Watch Series 11) Cellular-equipped smartwatch retail offering, led by Apple Watch Series 11, paired with Cricket smartwatch data plans for on-the-go connectivity.
• Cricket GoLink 5G Hotspot Portable mobile hotspot device providing 5G data-only connectivity that pairs with Cricket hotspot data plans for in-home or on-the-go Wi-Fi.
• Refer a Friend Program Customer referral program providing $25 bill credits to both the existing referrer and the newly activated friend, up to 10 referrals per year.

Quantifiable outcome

• Save up to $300 per year on multi-month prepaid plans compared to $50/month Smart Unlimited plan
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• AT&TcoreTechnology or IntegrationCricket Wireless is a wholly-owned subsidiary of AT&T and operates as a Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) reselling AT&T's wireless network infrastructure. Cricket leverages AT&T's nationwide 5G, 4G LTE, and 3G network coverage. AT&T provides the underlying network technology, spectrum, and infrastructure while Cricket handles branding, customer service, and distribution as a separate value-focused brand.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Visible: Verizon-owned, digital-first MVNO offering a single unlimited plan on Verizon's network. Competes with Cricket for value-conscious prepaid wireless consumers via app-driven, low-friction acquisition.
• Mint Mobile: Prepaid MVNO acquired by T-Mobile, marketing low-cost multi-month plans targeting value-conscious consumers on T-Mobile's network. Closely overlaps Cricket's no-contract, multi-month pricing model.
• Google Fi: Google-owned MVNO on T-Mobile and US Cellular networks with international roaming and seamless device-switching. Direct competitor for tech-savvy prepaid and BYOD customers.
• Consumer Cellular: MVNO focused on the 50+ demographic with no-contract plans on AT&T and T-Mobile networks. Comparable prepaid/value positioning and channel mix (retail, phone-based support) to Cricket.
• Metro by T-Mobile: T-Mobile's flagship prepaid sub-brand; offers no-contract monthly plans, multi-line discounts, and device promotions on T-Mobile's network. Direct head-to-head prepaid competitor to Cricket across virtually every consumer use case.
• Boost Mobile: Prepaid wireless provider originally a Sprint brand, now operating primarily on T-Mobile's network post-Dish acquisition. Competes with Cricket in prepaid multi-line and BYOD segments.
• Tracfone: Largest US prepaid MVNO, owned by Verizon; offers no-contract plans and a wide device catalog across Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile networks. Direct MVNO analogue to Cricket with similar value-proposition model.

Broad incumbents

• Verizon: Owner of Tracfone, Visible, and Total by Verizon; operates the dominant US wireless network. Competes with Cricket directly through its prepaid MVNO brands and indirectly as the anchor postpaid incumbent.
• T-Mobile: Owner of Metro and Mint and operator of the underlying network Cricket's rivals ride; competes with Cricket indirectly as a premium postpaid carrier and directly through its prepaid sub-brands.

Emerging players

• US Mobile: Newer MVNO offering flexible multi-network plans on Verizon and T-Mobile infrastructure. Emerging challenger targeting value-conscious consumers and BYOD segments where Cricket also competes.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/CricketNation
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/CricketNation
• Facebookfacebook.com/cricketwireless
• Instagraminstagram.com/cricketwireless
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cricketwireless

Compliance12 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cricket Wireless