Cricket hits the Windy City

Cricket Communications Inc. continues its nationwide rollout with its Chicago launch today, bringing its total covered pops to 77.5 million. The carrier, parented by Leap Wireless International Inc., is scheduled to double its covered pops this year. Cricket recently launched service in pockets of the Midwest, most recently in parts of Wisconsin.
“Chicago is the largest Cricket market to date, and brings Cricket’s greater Upper Midwest footprint to nearly 20,000 square miles,” said Leap CEO and President Doug Hutcheson.
Aside from the its unlimited monthly plans, which range from $30 to $60 a month, the carrier is pushing its Cricket Broadband service, which runs $35 a month alongside voice plans and $40 a month on its own. As Cricket continues its expansion, it takes advantage of a recent roaming agreement with competitor MetroPCS Communications Inc., which has also been busy hitting big cities such as New York and Boston.