YOU ARE AT:CarriersAT&T Cricket data boost looks to shrug off prepaid slump

AT&T Cricket data boost looks to shrug off prepaid slump

AT&T is throwing 60% more data for customers selecting its most popular Cricket prepaid rate plan following slide in growth

Coming off of a significant year-over-year drop in prepaid growth, AT&T’s Cricket Wireless brand is throwing 60% more data at consumers selecting one of its higher-end rate plan.

The carrier said its $50 per month plan will now include 8 gigabytes of unthrottled data access, an increase from the 5 GB previously offered. The plan continues with unlimited calling and text messaging in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, as well as the ability for a $5 per month discount for customers signing up for the Auto Pay service.

Cricket noted the $50 plan is its most popular, slotting in between the $60 “Pro” plan, which includes 10 GB of unthrottled data, and its $40 “Basic” plan with 2.5 GB of unthrottled data. The prepaid brand also continues to offer its range-topping “Unlimited” plan for $70 per month, which caps download speeds at 8 megabits per second, as well as its recently introduced entry level plan at $30 per month.

AT&T’s prepaid services, which include its Cricket and GoPhone brands, have been a significant direct driver of customer growth for the carrier, often pulling in new customers while its direct postpaid business struggles. However,
AT&T last week reported it’s branded prepaid services posted a 34.7% year-over-year drop in net customer additions for the third quarter, though the segment still outperformed the contract side of the business.

More important for the carrier, smaller rival T-Mobile US managed to post year-over-year growth in its prepaid division, with company management claiming it lured nearly 400,000 customers from AT&T Mobility. Verizon Wireless posted improved prepaid performance in the latest quarter, while Sprint reported substantial customer losses in the segment.

Bored? Why not follow me on Twitter

ABOUT AUTHOR