14 DAY TRIAL // Cricket has just announced its first 4G LTE services are now commercially available in Tucson, Arizona. The carrier’s move marks the start of its multi-year transition to 4G LTE network.
Although the services will be available only in Tucson at launch the carrier confirmed that further expansion is planned for nearby Nogales, Arizona next year.
Currently, more than 90% of the carrier market footprint in Tucson will be covered by the new 4G LTE network with more to come in 2012.
Those unfamiliar with the term should know that 4G LTE technology is the fastest network technology available and can deliver high data speeds. Cricket’s pre-launch speed tests confirmed speeds ranged from 5 to 10 times faster than current 3G data speeds, which is pretty decent.
Cricket also announced its first LTE-enabled device that will be available for its customers located in Tucson, Arizona. The Huawei Boltz (E 397) modem can be purchased from Cricket’s stores for a suggested retail price of $149.99 (115 EUR).
The modem has a hinge and pivots to any USB 2.0 configuration. In addition, it features a microSD slot for memory expansion (up to 32GB). The carrier plans to launch more LTE compatible modems and smartphone within the next months.
For the time being, Tucson customers can choose one of the two 4G LTE monthly service plans that provide up to 5GB of data per month. There’s a $50 plan that offers download speeds of up to 3Mbps and a $60 plan that offers download speeds up to 6Mbps.
“The introduction of Cricket 4G LTE in Tucson as our first commercial market is an early milestone in our transition to LTE that will allow us to continue to offer our customers high-quality products and services with the latest technology at the value price they've come to expect,” said Doug Hutcheson, president and CEO of Leap.