Review: Cricket Wireless by AT&T (Cellular Data Plans)

Cricket Wireless is a wholly-owned subsidiary of AT&T, providing prepaid smartphone-based plans with data tethering capabilities and data-only plans.

Plan Information

Cricket offers both unlimited and capped data plans for phones, and capped data plans for data-only devices. Phone plans are not permitted for use in data-only devices (hotspots).

Data Only Plans - TOP PICK

Currently Available Data Only Plans:

Simply Data - Data Only Plans
- 100GB - $55 **TOP PICK**
- 20GB - $35

Cricket offers an entry-level hotspot device for their data-only plans, or plans can be activated on most AT&T-compatible devices including hotspots and tablets.

Top Pick Notes: As of April 26, 2021, both Cricket Wireless and AT&T Prepaid offer a 100GB data plan for $55/month. The advantage of Cricket over AT&T Prepaid is that it explicitly includes Canada & Mexico coverage - where as AT&T Prepaid has no mention one way or the other. The AT&T Prepaid option has advantages of use in routers and a bit higher priority than Cricket on the networks.

January 19, 2021 - Cricket updated their compatible device list, and many router models are no longer compatible with this plan. Existing customers using a Simply Data plan in a router are advised to NOT REMOVE THE SIM CARD from their router to keep the plan active - it will deactivate if you remove the card and put it back in.

Mobile hotspot devices (like the Netgear Nighthawk 4G, Unite Explore, Moxee, etc. all seem still compatible). Be sure to check the IMEI of your device before placing an order.

Members, please refer to this thread where we are sharing confirmed compatible devices:

Cricket Wireless Simply Data Alert

Plan Specifications:

Carrier Networks Used: AT&T
Carrier Relationship: Prepaid Carrier Subsidiary
Plan Types Available: Data Only
Device Types Permitted: Hotspots, tablets
Unlimited: No
High-Speed Mobile Hotspot Use: All data
Throttling: No throttling. After the cap, data stops completely.
Network Management: None
Streaming: 480p
5G Access: Yes, as of August 21, 2020 on $60 unlimited plan and Simply Data plans
Device Purchase Required: No
Plan Period: 30 days
International Roaming: Yes in Canada & Mexico. Calls, texts, or data usage while in Canada cannot exceed 50% of the total usage during a 3 month period. If you use data services on wireless carrier networks other than AT&T Mexico while in Mexico, your data usage may be reduced to 2G speeds.
Domestic Roaming: None
Data Roll Over: None
Overage Charges: None
- Extra data can be added for $5 / 5GB or $10 / 15GB as needed
Lines permitted per account: 9
Extras:

Smartphone Plans

Currently Available Smartphone Plans:

Phone
- Unlimited + 15GB Mobile Hotspot - $60
- Unlimited - $55
- 10GB - $40
- 2GB - $30

Plan Specifications:

Carrier Networks Used: AT&T
Carrier Relationship: Prepaid Carrier Subsidiary
Plan Types Available: Phone
Device Types Permitted: Phone
Unlimited: Yes
High-Speed Mobile Hotspot Use:
- $60 Unlimited Plan: 15GB
- Not included on other smartphone plans.
Throttling:
- $60 Unlimited Plan: No
- $55 Unlimited Plan: All data throttled to 8 Mbps
- 10GB/2GB Plans: Download speeds max of 8 Mbps (LTE)/ 4 Mbps (4G). Speeds slowed to 128 Kbps after the data cap.
Network Management:
- Unlimited Plans: Always
- 10GB/2GB Phone Plans and Data Only Plans: No
Streaming: 480p
5G Access: Yes, as of August 21, 2020 on $60 unlimited plan and Simply Data plans
Device Purchase Required: No
Plan Period: 30 days
International Roaming: Yes in Canada & Mexico. Calls, texts, or data usage while in Canada cannot exceed 50% of the total usage during a 3 month period. If you use data services on wireless carrier networks other than AT&T Mexico while in Mexico, your data usage may be reduced to 2G speeds.
Domestic Roaming: None
Data Roll Over: None
Overage Charges: None
- Tiered smartphone plans: Extra high-speed data can be added for $10 / 1GB
Lines permitted per account: 9
Extras: HBO Max (ad tier) is included with the $60 plan as of August 20th, 2021.

News, Videos, & Status:

We have tested a Cricket Wireless Simply Data plan, and include notes on this in the member section below.

Videos

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Learn More About Selecting Cellular Data Plans Explore Our Comparative Pricing Grid

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Shopping for Cellular Data Plans

Finding the right plans for your needs is no easy task - quite simply mobile travelers using cellular data as their primary way online is not how most carriers have designed their plans. Many of us want plans that provide copious amounts of data.

Here's our video going over ways to get LOTS of data for use in your travels:

But a data plan alone will not keep you online. You also need the right gear, signal enhancing strategy and planning your travels around the options you carry with you. Head on over to our collection of guides:

Using Cellular Data Resources