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:
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:
- 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:
News, Videos, & Status:
We have tested a Cricket Wireless Simply Data plan, and include notes on this in the member section below.
Videos
Related News
Potential Alternatives to Consider:
Some of our TOP PICK Cellular Data Plans to also consider:
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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.
Understanding the different plan terms (like network management, throttling, hotspot data, video resolution) is key to determining if a plan will meet your needs or not. You also need plans that are suitable for use in the device you want to use them in - such as smartphone, mobile hotspot device or cellular embedded router.
To learn more about shopping for dataplans, check out these key guides:
As heavily as the carriers push their "Unlimited' data plans - you'll quickly discover that most have limits. Here's a video going over what you need to know about unlimited plans, including 3rd party resellers plans that you might find on the internet:
But a data plan alone will not keep you online - it's only one part of the equation. You also need the right gear and signal enhancing strategy.
For more education on assembling a cellular centric mobile internet setup, head on over to our collection of guides:
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