If you are looking for a new cell phone plan, you may have come across Cricket Wireless and its affordable prepaid plans.
Cricket’s low-cost cell phone plans can save you over $480 per year on your cell phone bill.
However, you may be wondering if Cricket’s coverage will meet your expectations.
In this article, we will explore Cricket Wireless's coverage and compare it to other major carriers to help you make an informed decision.
Cricket Wireless is owned by AT&T and runs off of the AT&T 4G LTE and 5G networks.
Cricket Wireless covers 99% of Americans.
Here are some quick facts about Cricket Wireless coverage:
Check Cricket Wireless coverage in your area by using the two coverage maps below.
The map is an estimated coverage map. It shows where you are likely to have service on Cricket Wireless. The map is created using signal strength data provided by the FCC.
The second coverage map is a verified coverage map. It shows where real Cricket Wireless customers have reported they have service.
Use the search bar to check coverage in your area or any areas you may travel to:
Cricket Wireless uses AT&T’s network for coverage.
Cricket Wireless has 5G coverage on AT&T’s 5G networks.
AT&T currently has the largest 5G network in the United States.
It covers 285 million people, or over 85% of Americans.
Cricket Wireless gets full access to AT&T’s 5G and 5G+ networks. AT&T’s regular 5G network boasts impressive coverage while using the new 5G technologies. The AT&T 5G+ network uses mid-band spectrum to deliver substantially faster cellular data speeds.
AT&T’s combination of a robust coverage footprint and reasonable data speeds have it ranking as the #1 best network in many states.
You can check what network ranks best in your area using our free Coverage Check tool.
Cricket Wireless provides nationwide LTE coverage on AT&T’s expansive LTE network.
AT&T LTE covers 99% of Americans.
It is also currently the network with the most coverage across the United States, covering just over 55% of the country.
Cricket Wireless has a bit more coverage than Verizon.
Cricket Wireless covers 55.11% of the U.S. while Verizon covers 55.05% of the U.S.
Both networks are very good and cover a huge amount of the country:
When it comes to 5G coverage though, Cricket Wireless has substantially more 5G coverage than Verizon.
Cricket Wireless covers 31% of the U.S. and over 285 million people with 5G.
Verizon’s 5G network covers only 230 million people and just 12% of the U.S.:
Both Cricket Wireless and Verizon have similar data speeds.
According to data submitted by users, Cricket Wireless has a median download speed of 61.17 Mbps. Verizon has a median download speed of 61.23 Mbps.
Both carriers have similar median upload speeds, too. Cricket Wireless got 11.29 Mbps for upload and Verizon got 11.65 Mbps.
Overall, both Cricket Wireless and Verizon have exceptional coverage across the United States.
You will likely get great service on both carriers in cities and in more rural areas.
You will find more 5G coverage on Cricket Wireless though, which could mean having slightly faster data speeds.
However, coverage can vary a lot from state to state or city to city. It may not be a bad idea to use the Coverage Check tool to see what carrier is better where you live.
It may also be worth checking the Verizon coverage map to see how it performs in your area.
Cricket Wireless has better coverage than T-Mobile does.
Even though both carriers cover over 99% of Americans, Cricket Wireless covers an impressive 55% of the land area in the United States.
T-Mobile, meanwhile, only covers 35% of the land area in the U.S.
That means if you travel to more rural areas or road trip across the country, you are more likely to have service on Cricket:
Cricket Wireless also has a bit more 5G coverage than T-Mobile does.
Cricket Wireless covers 31% of the U.S. with 5G while T-Mobile covers 26% of the U.S. with 5G.
Despite having more 5G coverage than T-Mobile, it turns out that Cricket Wireless is a bit slower than T-Mobile.
This is because most of Cricket’s 5G coverage is made up of low-band 5G, which has about the same speeds as 4G LTE.
T-Mobile, on the other hand, has been rolling out their Ultra Capacity 5G network. This uses new mid-band 5G spectrum, which is way faster. T-Mobile Ultra Capacity 5G covers over 260 million people.
In terms of actual numbers, Cricket Wireless has median download speeds of 61.17 Mbps.
T-Mobile is 2.5x faster than Cricket with a median download speed of 152.34 Mbps.
Both carriers have similar median upload speeds ranging from 10 to 20 Mbps.
Overall, T-Mobile will likely deliver a better experience in cities and densely populated areas thanks to its faster 5G.
However, Cricket Wireless will give you coverage in more locations thanks to its expansive coverage footprint.
Cricket may be a better option if you travel outside of cities or do road trips across the U.S.,
Of course, coverage and data speeds vary a lot from location to location, so check coverage in your area with our coverage check tool.
You can also check the T-Mobile coverage map to see what service looks like in your area.
Cricket Wireless has the exact same coverage as AT&T because Cricket is owned by AT&T and uses the AT&T network for coverage.
See the AT&T coverage map here.
Coverage data is from the FCC.
This speed test data comes from our community-contributed coverage map.
Yes, Cricket Wireless coverage is good. It uses AT&T’s 4G LTE and 5G networks for coverage. The AT&T network is the largest network in the United States right now. It covers 99% of Americans and 55% of the land area in the U.S.
Cricket Wireless customers can enjoy 5G coverage on AT&T’s 5G network.
Cricket Wireless’s two unlimited plans include unlimited talk, text, and data roaming in Canada at no extra charge.
Cricket Wireless’s two unlimited plans include free unlimited talk, text, and data in Mexico.
Cricket Wireless does not offer international data roaming.