Is Cricket Wireless GSM or CDMA

Cricket wireless is a GSM carrier and was founded back in 1999, the multinational smartphone company was doing well, having about 4.5million subscribers. And at this period that Cricket operated as a single entity under Leap Wireless International, it utilized the CDMA network. Leap was a budding company with so much potential and a threat to the national carriers.

Initially, the company had carved out a niche by focusing its products and services, on the small rural markets. Cricket displayed so much potential in that its competitors had to find ways of either merging or acquiring the telecommunications company, Metro PCS expressed interest in merging with Leap Wireless but its efforts were thwarted after Leap informally rejected the offer.

At the time, Leap was out for growth and it, therefore, went ahead and acquired Hargray communications groups wireless telecommunications business. By 2008 the company had experienced growth and this was the beginning of successful partnerships starting with its competitor Metro PCS.

Understanding GSM and CDMA

While these two terms might seem like something from the rocket science dictionary they are actually very simple to understand, and once you get their simple meaning then choosing the relevant device shouldn’t be a problem. Basically, phones on the GSM network, have removable sim cards, and phones on the CDMA network don’t have removable sim cards.

GSM networks are more appreciated globally than CDMA because; users can transfer their phones to other GSM networks. What’s more, is that the GSM networks can multitask by talking and transferring data simultaneously; you must, however, note that you cannot do the above with a CDMA network.

As we mentioned earlier, CDMA does not come with a sim card slot, and it is, therefore, considered as a handset-based device that comes with a phone number linked to a specific device. Using the CDMA network is quite hectic, because if you are to upgrade to another phone then you will have to go through the process of reaching out to the network carrier so that they can deactivate the device, and consequently activate the one that you are transitioning to.

Users of the GSM devices, on the other hand, have the easiest of times because transitioning is pretty seamless and all they have to do is pop out their sim cards and insert them on their new phones.

Cricket Wireless Services and Features

Cricket plans are quite simple to understand for any user, and you therefore, don’t need to spend hours on end researching or calling their customer service, however, you must know that this particular provider does have some hidden charges, but nothing that has been blown out of proportion. So any time that you want to activate, you will be required to pay up to $25 activation fees.

Another downside is that the internet speeds are not exactly fast, but most of their services and plans are inherently cheap. Cricket is a good option for mal-computant individuals or people who are not exactly into technology and the internet and only prefer to text and talk.

The telecommunication company hosts the best coverage services given that it is being hosted by AT and T, the network is strongest when in the city but tends to dim when you venture into the country. Their customer service needs an overhaul because it is not the best, but will get you through any simple problems that you need to be resolved. The telecommunications provider does run some rather competitive plans, ranging from the unlimited to the family plan.

	Cricket Core	10GB	2GB
Prize	$55 for one line, $80 for two, $90 for three and $100 for four lines	$40 for one line, $70 for two, $90 for three and $110 for four lines	$30/mo
Data plan	Unlimited high speed 4G LTE	10GB of 4G LTE data	2GB of 4G LTE data
Streaming	Standard definition 480p	Not available	Not Available
Hotspot	Available	Not Available	Not Available

Conclusion

Using either a GSM or CDMA network is a personal choice, because if we take a look at the coverage, speeds, and reliability from a Verizon point of view, then CDMA seems like a good choice because the telecommunications giant is CDMA based and the top provider in the US. But if we look at both the GSM and CDMA in terms of international roaming, reliability then GSM is the network to settle with.

Remember that most devices around the globe use GSM, it, therefore, becomes a lot easier for a user to get a local sim card in the country that he or she is in and continue keeping in touch.

FAQ’s

Does Cricket wireless put data caps?

Yes, Cricket wireless normally caps the download speeds, on all the rate plans offered at 8Mbps (LTE)/(4G), the above doesn’t however, apply to the Cricket more plan or data plans only.