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Thursday September 3, 2009
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Cricket has always had the lowest rates and most liberal policies of the 3G broadband providers. Their $40/month plan is $20 cheaper than most other carriers, and their 5GB/month data cap doesn't result in high charges if you go over the limit (they just slow down your connection.) We tested their A600 USB modem, and although it isn't perfect, it's a great competitor in an industry that generally moves in lockstep.
For heavy users, Cricket is now trying out a 10GB plan. Cricket's Greg Lund tells me that the new $60/month, 10GB plan is being "tested with a small customer group," and Cricket hasn't decided whether to make it fully public yet. Since the 5GB plan just slows you down at 5GB, what you're getting for the extra $20 is another 5GB of high speed access.
The plot gets thicker when you realize Cricket has applied for federal funding as a subsidized broadband provider for low-income households. While 5GB is plenty of data for most occasional, mobile users, it's less than many home Internet users expect.
Put two and two together, and you might see those low-income households being put on Cricket's new 10GB plan with the feds carrying 80% of the cost. That brings the $60/month price down to $12/month, which competes well both on speed and price with lower-end DSL offerings. And as Cricket's system doesn't require contracts, credit checks, or any actual wiring, it's available to many families who can't get DSL because of financial or living-situation reasons.
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