Updated
Updated · CNET · Sep 16
Cricket Wireless Launches $60 5G Home Internet With Speeds Up to 300Mbps
Updated
Updated · CNET · Sep 16

Cricket Wireless Launches $60 5G Home Internet With Speeds Up to 300Mbps

3 articles · Updated · CNET · Sep 16

Summary

  • Cricket Wireless has begun offering prepaid 5G home internet nationwide for $60 a month with Auto Pay, plus a one-time $50 Cricket Gateway purchase.
  • The service runs on AT&T’s 5G network, offers unlimited data, and advertises download speeds up to 300Mbps and upload speeds up to 30Mbps, though performance depends on local coverage.
  • New customers can bundle a wireless line and home internet for $75, while existing Cricket subscribers can add the home service for $45 a month.
  • Cricket said there is no ongoing contract and taxes are included, although speeds can be throttled for 30 minutes in rare cases if usage contributes to network congestion.
  • The launch adds Cricket to a broader carrier push to use faster 5G networks to compete with traditional home broadband and combine mobile and household connectivity.

Insights

Since customers must buy Cricket's $50 gateway outright, does this affordable 5G home internet secretly lock them into an obsolete ecosystem?
Cricket's new 5G internet promises cheap, contract-free broadband, but what hidden catches lurk behind its network congestion throttling policy?