AT&T vs. Cricket Wireless: Which Carrier is Better?

AT&T is one of the three major wireless networks popular in the United States, and Cricket Wireless is an MVNO that operates on AT&T’s network. It provides affordable plans with the caveat that it is more likely to experience data deprioritization than major wireless providers.

In this article, we plan to discuss the ins and outs of both carriers and what they offer. We’ll also cover:

• What the coverage of both carriers looks like
• How do the prices of their plans compare to how much data you get
• The features each carrier offers for their plans 

Coverage & Reception

Cricket Wireless is a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO). This means it purchases service access wholesale from one of the three major networks that own infrastructure across the country—AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile—giving customers service at a much lower price. Cricket Wireless uses AT&T’s network.  

Cricket Wireless customers enjoy the same coverage and reception as AT&T users. They are on the same networks! Make sure to check local coverage maps for more information about your area.  

The other significant difference between the coverage and reception of these carriers is that AT&T customers have a far higher data priority than Cricket Wireless’s customers. When there is more traffic on a network than it can handle, the owning company (AT&T, T-Mobile, or Verizon) will throttle the data of specific customers. To evade slowing everyone’s data speed at once, carriers have users divided into tiers with different data priorities. In the United States, that priority data is roughly divided into three tiers, like so: 

• Tier 1 Data has the maximum data speeds at all times. If tier-one data is ever slowed down, it means no network customers can access high-speed data. This may occur at sporting events, concerts, or other large congregations of people
• Tier 2 Data retains maximum speeds after MVNO customers' data is slowed down. This is excellent on all but the busiest occasions. If congestion returns after MVNOs are slowed down, then T2 gets slowed to make room for Tier 1 Data, which this plan offers, to stay at max speeds. With T2 data, you may notice slowdowns in bigger cities where there are many residents and commuters. 
• Tier 3 Data, or MVNO data, is always the first tier of data to receive slowdowns. US Mobile utilizes MVNO data, which is an excellent way to use major wireless networks with affordable plan pricing. 

So, AT&T offers plans that have either tier 1 or tier 2 data, and Cricket Wireless offers plans that are on tier 3 data. If you live in a major metropolitan area, you will notice far more slowdowns due to data deprioritization than if you live in a suburban or rural area. 

Your cell habits are an important way to distinguish whether Cricket Wireless or AT&T is better for you. 

Plan Options

AT&T offers various plans that provide unlimited data, while Cricket Wireless offers a quartet of data plans with, importantly, an option for unlimited high-speed data. Along with high-speed data, both carriers offer unlimited talk and text along with various features and add-ons. First up, let’s talk about AT&T’s cell phone plans. 

AT&T Cell Phone Plans

AT&T offers three unlimited plans at various price points, with each one offering various add-ons, high-speed data, and more. All plans have immense multi-line savings between two and five lines. If you open an account with friends and family, everyone will save big on their cell phone service. Let’s outline AT&T’s cell phone plans. 

• AT&T Unlimited Starter Plan
• AT&T Unlimited Extra Plan
• AT&T Unlimited Premium Plan

Each of AT&T’s cell phone plans is a great option for people who want unlimited high-speed data, with their starter plan offering unlimited high-speed data and the two premium plans offering premium data, extra hotspot data, and more. Let’s break it down. 

AT&T Unlimited Starter Plan 

AT&T’s Unlimited Starter plan offers unlimited high-speed data, 5 GB of hotspot data, AT&T’s Active Armor cell phone security. Along with this, AT&T limits phone streaming on mobile data to standard definition. A single-line account here costs $65 per month, lowering down to $30 a month for a five-line account. One thing you will notice among major wireless providers — they all have incredible multi-line savings. This makes these high-cost plans most valuable for customers who plan on adding multiple lines to their accounts. 

AT&T Unlimited Extra

AT&T’s Unlimited Extra offers 75 GB of premium data, which will never get slowed down unless the network is maximally congested (think NFL game), as well as 30 GB of high-speed hotspot data, which is a great addition to the plan for those who use their laptops on the go. AT&T still only offers standard definition streaming on their Unlimited Extra plan. 

AT&T Unlimited Premium

AT&T’s most expensive plan, Unlimited Premium, comes with 60 GB high-speed hotspot data, unlimited premium data, and 4K UHD streaming. This plan is very expensive, and we only recommend it for people who will get the most out of it. This high-powered plan is excellent for those who use their phones and other devices routinely while on the move. 

Cricket Wireless Cell Phone Plans

Cricket’s two unlimited plans provide unlimited high-speed data, which separates them from other MVNOs. Few MVNO data plans offer the same. Cricket Wireless has four major plans. Each plan comes with unlimited talk and text, as well as the same 5G and 4G LTE coverage that AT&T users get. The phone plans at Cricket Wireless are competitively priced and come with a variety of benefits and shortcomings, just like their competitors. Their four major plans are

• Unlimited data + 15 GB Mobile Hotspot
• Unlimited data
• 10 GB data
• 5 GB data

Unlimited data + 15 GB Mobile Hotspot — $60 a month (Cricket Core)

This is Cricket’s most expensive plan with all the bells and whistles they can provide. Compared with their third-tier plan, you get a lot of goods for that extra $5 a month. The 15 GB mobile hotspot is a versatile extra bonus that lets you conduct a significant amount of work on the go each month, as long as you aren’t using it to stream! 

Unlimited data — $55 a month

The unlimited data plan comes with unlimited high-speed data, which is a fantastic part of any MVNO plan. Cricket’s two unlimited plans are very similarly priced, so making the change from one to the next is not a big deal. Check out the add-ons of the Unlimited + plan to see if it’s worth the extra money! 

Since Cricket phone plans are a month-to-month affair, it is easy to jump between plans based on your needs. If you start with Unlimited and decide it’s not right for you, you can bump yourself up or down a tier. 

10 GB data — $40 a month

As we travel down their plans, we get to their second tier plan, one of two that do not come with unlimited data. This plan and the first tier plan are both excellent if you know that you don’t need more than their allotted amounts of data each month. 

That’s about 30% savings each month compared to the unlimited data plan. Also, one of the add-ons is one GB of extra data for $10, so if you go way over one month, you can shell out to continue having high-speed data through the end of the cycle. One gig of data for $10, naturally, is terrible value, so you want to make sure you won’t exceed your data allotment or be comfortable with low-speed data to make this plan worthwhile. 

5 GB data — $30 a month

Cricket’s cheapest phone plan is 5 GB of data each month for $30. Like the other set data plan, this one allows you five gigs of high-speed data each month, slowing your speeds down to a crawl if you exceed it. You have the same option to add on an extra gig of data for $10, but it is still inadvisable. 

Cricket’s limited-data plans are not well-priced compared to other MVNOs, so if you are looking for a low-data plan, we recommend MVNOs like Tello Mobile or Mint Mobile. 

Major Wireless Network vs. MVNO

One of the biggest differences between AT&T and Cricket Wireless is that AT&T is a major wireless network, while Cricket Wireless is an MVNO. There are several key differences between these kinds of carriers. Let’s get into it.

Data throttling and data deprioritization are two key differences between major wireless networks and MVNOs. 

Deprioritization

Data deprioritization occurs when a network is too “busy” to handle the current level of traffic. This happens all the time across the country, but the frequency of deprioritization is hard to quantify. 

Certain plans from major wireless networks will also allocate an amount of data on the premium tier before deprioritizing your account for the rest of the month. This gives you a pool of congestion-free data each month; you have a higher risk of slowed-down data once you use it up.

Throttling

Data throttling occurs when you are on a limited data plan and use up all your data for the month. This is completely separate from network congestion. This is the dramatic slowing of data, where speeds will be a lot slower than those who’ve just been deprioritized. At the beginning of next month, you will get a new data allocation and return it to high speeds. 

As an MVNO, Cricket Wireless’s data fluctuates far more than AT&T’s data, as Cricket Wireless receives data deprioritization far more. This makes Cricket Wireless, among other MVNOs, unreliable in terms of data speeds. Anytime there is a danger of congestion within AT&T’s network, the high-speed data given to Cricket Wireless’s customers is slowed down so AT&T’s customers can 

This congestion is seen most in big cities around the United States. In those cities, the network is stronger but not strong enough to handle the city's residents and the commuters coming in for work. Places like New York City, Washington, D.C., Chicago, and Miami, to name a few, are all areas where MVNOs experience a lot of congestion. 

It is harder to predict the congestion in less populated cities and rural areas around the country. Festivals, concerts, and sporting events are common times when a lot of congestion hits the area. If you’ve ever been to a football game and tried to access your phone for just about anything, we are certain that you’ve seen what it feels like to try to use data with congestion. 

AT&T, a major network, does not throttle its customers' data (its plans have unlimited high-speed data) and sees less data deprioritization than Cricket Wireless. AT&T’s customers have either tier 1 or tier 2 data, so MVNOs will always be deprioritized before major wireless networks. 

Customer Service 

AT&T has physical locations and robust online customer service offerings, while Cricket Wireless only has online customer service. You can call AT&T’s customer service line at this number: 844-931-0552. You can also reach AT&T’s help pages following this link, which has answers to frequently asked questions, the option to chat, and more. 

Cricket Wireless's contact information is 800-411-0848, or you can access its help page here. 

The Verdict

Due to data deprioritization, Cricket Wireless is best for people without high-speed data when they are out and about. Though Cricket Wireless offers unlimited high-speed data, it is priced comparably to AT&T without the data priority that you get with the major network. It is nice that users can switch to lower-data cell phone plans to save, but there are other MVNOs with similar data allocations at far better prices. 

Overall, we recommend AT&T over Cricket Wireless. The pricing between these two companies makes the additional data priority and plan features a clear reason to go with AT&T.  

We’d recommend checking your data usage before committing to a plan.

Want to compare other carriers?

Really.com helps users compare between features, coverage, price, reviews, and more!

Are you still unsure which carrier to choose or which phone plan to pick? Use really.com to compare your top choices and find the best deal to fit your needs. Really allows you to compare and sort between most phone plans on the market without the hassle!

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I choose the right cell phone provider? 

Choosing the right provider depends on your location, budget, and data usage. Research the coverage maps of major providers in your area to determine which one has the best coverage for you. Also, consider customer reviews for each provider's service quality and customer support.

How can I choose the right cell phone plan?

To choose the right plan, assess your usage habits—how much data, talk time, and texts you need. Look for plans that fit your requirements and budget. Compare different providers' offerings and check for additional features like international roaming, hotspot data, or family plans.

Who does Cricket Wireless use for mobile?

Cricket Wireless has agreements with AT&T to provide high-speed data coverage nationwide. You can check local coverage maps to see how AT&T’s network covers your area, but make sure to research congestion as well because you will feel it more on Cricket Wireless than you will with AT&T. 

Is AT&T faster than T-Mobile?

In many areas, AT&T and T-Mobile offer competitive speeds. Performance can vary depending on your location, network congestion, and the quality of service. Check your specific area's speed test data and coverage maps to determine which provider offers faster speeds.

Who provides better coverage, AT&T or Cricket Wireless?

AT&T provides faster and more reliable data speeds, but AT&T and Cricket Wireless have the same coverage because they use the same network. If you live in a major metropolitan area, you will experience much more data deprioritization using Cricket Wireless than you would in, say, a rural area. 

Should I use an MVNO or a major wireless provider?

It depends on your priorities. MVNOs (Mobile Virtual Network Operators) often offer more affordable plans with similar coverage since they use the same network that major providers use. However, major providers may offer better perks, such as higher data speeds, broader coverage, and more premium features. Evaluate your budget and needs to make the right choice.