Today, we are moving to 4G LTE technology while making the most of our high-quality 3G network. Our LTE rollout is a product of thoughtful spectrum management. We have kept spectrum unused so we have a clear path to 4G. We believe LTE is much more than a network technology – it’s an entire ecosystem. As we move to 4G, we are working to offer the rate plans, features and applications people want on the devices they love. We plan to offer our services over a highly capable network that runs seamlessly, backed up by great customer care. Together, it’s how we are innovating the customer experience in a data-driven world.
Cricket is the pioneer and leader in delivering innovative, value-rich prepaid wireless services with the flexibility of no contracts. We leverage the latest high-quality, all-digital 4G LTE and 3G CDMA wireless networks, taking an innovative approach to deliver nationwide coverage.
We start with our own facilities-based networks in Cricket markets across the country, covering approximately 95 million potential customers. Then we expand our reach through wholesale and roaming agreements with several wireless providers. The result is nationwide coverage spanning approximately 290 million potential customers.
Delivering a high-speed customer experience
Today we are expanding our high-speed 4G LTE network capabilities while continuing to leverage our robust 3G footprint. We began our planned, multi-year transition to LTE technology in December 2011. In 2012, Cricket successfully completed its initial transition 4G LTE and now offers access to LTE networks over approximately 21 million potential customers.
As we roll out LTE we continue to explore cost-effective ways to deliver 4G services, including deploying our own facilities-based networks and entering into partnerships and joint ventures with other carriers.
Engineered for efficiency
To support Cricket’s value proposition, our networks are engineered for efficiency.
From the beginning, our networks have been engineered for efficiency. We designed our network to deliver high capacity and outstanding quality at a low cost. That is why we have invested in proven, spectrally efficient networks to offer the best customer experience at a great value.
We are also constantly looking for ways to use our network efficiently. A key example is Muve Music®, our award-winning unlimited music service, which delivers a great customer experience while using less bandwidth than other music services.
Our engineering team excels at using spectrum efficiently, combined with an unparalleled understanding of what it takes to support our unlimited value proposition. We deploy cell sites only where we need them, and design our networks where our customers live, work and play. And as network infrastructure evolves, it becomes more efficient and affordable – so we can maximize our footprint and our capabilities while moving even faster to newer technologies.
Internet Protocol-based technologies have changed the way we run our network. Today, we are using “smart” management tools to maintain and upgrade our networks remotely. In the past we might have sent technicians to “touch” each cell site. Now moving to new technologies is as easy as upgrading to new computer software. With our size, scale and agility, we can advance to new technologies quickly and cost-effectively.
What does this mean for our customers? It means that we can deliver the speed, capacity and coverage they need to download music, watch videos, play games and stay connected – all at an affordable price.
