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Leap gets serious about merger, hires Goldman Sachs

Last we checked, Leap Wireless was talking to investment banks, hoping “to explore strategic options.” This usually means a company wants to see what a merger or acquisition would look like. Yesterday The Wall Street Journal reported (sub. required) that Leap has created a “special board committee” which will help it determine the best course of action going forward. Goldman Sachs Group will advise the company. This doesn’t necessarily mean a merger with MetroPCS, but given the state of the wireless industry it remains the clearest option.

Cricket getting super-basic A150

Over the past few months we’ve seen a number of prepaid carriers add very low-level phones. This, I think, is because their customers want simple phones for cheap, and it’s tough to offer cheap handsets on prepaid. To that end, Cricket plans to launch the A150, a featureless phone manufactured by Cal-Comp, a brand unknown to me. No word on price or release, but I’d venture to guess 1) $50 or under and 2) soon.

Have a suggestion for Cricket? Let them know

I’m not sure how seriously Cricket will take your ideas, but if you have a problem with the service, or have a suggestion to improve it, you can head to MyCricketAdviser.com and voice your opinion. You’ll have to set up an account, which includes supplying your Cricket phone number, phone model, and rate plan, so I’m sure some people will refrain. The domain, however, is certifiably owned by Leap Wireless, so it doesn’t appear to be a scam.

Thanks to HoFo user avenue for the heads up.

Cricket testing loyalty program to help reduce churn

Prepaid carriers face many disadvantages when compared to their postpaid counterparts, perhaps chief among them the ability to retain customers. Where postpaid carriers have contracts binding users to their services, prepaid carriers face the possibility of customers leaving at any time, for any reason. As we’ve seen over the past couple of quarters, churn can hurt, as both MetroPCS and Cricket had figures over 5 percent in the third quarter 2009, leading to disappointing overall subscriber numbers. It looks like Cricket plans to do something about it, as they’re testing a loyalty program that offers customers an incentive to stay.

Will recent developments force a Metro-Leap merger?

Topics like this exist in every niche, the kind that just don’t go away. I write about baseball, and stories of a certain team being interested in a certain player emerge and recycle for months. This storyline, however, has lasted for years. Ever since the companies went public, it seems like every analyst has discussed a possible MetroPCS and Leap Wireless merger. Sometimes we even get an overly optimistic analyst saying that the chances are very good. Yet, clearly, we’re just running in place. It makes me wonder if even the recent changes in the wireless landscape will be enough to force their hands.

Leap Wireless up, but still down in Q4

Usually we have to wait a month or so for companies to announce their fourth quarter results. Because they also comprise the year-end results, the compilation takes a bit longer, and companies usually end up announcing both quarterly and yearly results sometime in February. We got a quick preview of Leap Wireless’s fourth quarter, however, when CEO Doug Hutcheson spoke at a Citigroup investor conference. The results look encouraging, though they did not add as many subscribers as they did in Q4 2008.

Plenty on the line for Leap Wireless in 2010

It just wouldn’t be a day that ends in Y without a reference to a MetroPCS and Leap Wireless merger. This one came a couple of days ago, and while it remains highly speculative the source couldn’t be any stronger. Leap CFO Walter Berger spoke vaguely about a potential merger, noting that (in the words of Toronto Star reporter Imari Love) “it makes some sense given the potential scale benefits.” Both Leap and Metro have seen churn rates climb this year, meaning that the carriers have not only the challenge of pulling subscribers from other networks, but of keeping their own customers. In a wireless world dominated by four carriers, and those dominated by two, it’s not an easy endeavor.

Cricket trying viral promotion in Tennessee

The fourth quarter of this year is vital for Cricket. They hit some hard times last quarter, missing their subscriber forecast and seeing churn jump by over a full percent. I spoke about this on the Prepaid Podcast. The fourth quarter is typically better for cellular carriers, and with cheaper plans, new phones, and wider distribution, Cricket is hoping to do well. They’re taking another step, too: viral promotion. They have plans for an event in Tennessee that could spread their brand to thousands of potential customers.

Cricket to release MSGM8 on November 27

If there’s a new phone on the prepaid market, we’re all over it. We’re usually ready with the best available picture, plus a description of the features, the release date, and the price. It comes with great disappointment, then, that there is not yet a picture available for the Cricket MSGM8, which will hit Cricket shelves on November 27. Pronounced “message mate,” the MSGM8 is probably the bar-style equivalent of the Cricket TXTM8, a stubby slider phone which features a full QWERTY keyboard.

Cricket expands coverage in Louisiana

Cell phone companies are always expanding their coverage. It seems like every few days there’s a press release about Verizon or AT&T expanding coverage in a part of a state. Yet I’m much more interested in the expansions of the regional carriers. They have a limited range of network, so when they add markets it’s actually a significant move. The latest comes from Cricket, which has expanded coverage in Louisiana. This includes the areas of Lake Charles, extending from the Texas border to the town of Crowley. This brings Cricket an additional 241,000 covered POPs.

Churn hurts Cricket’s third quarter subscriber additions

One killer in the wireless industry is churn, the percentage of customers who packed up their things and left. This is an even bigger issue in prepaid, where a contract doesn’t tie a customer to a service. Cricket announced their third quarter results yesterday, and churn stood out. It was at 5.4 percent, up a full point from the second quarter 2009 and up 1.2 points from the third quarter 2008. That hurt their subscriber adds, which clocked in at 116,000. They added 156,000 in the same period last year, and 203,000 in the second quarter of this year. Their average revenue per user (ARPU) fell, but that’s likely because they added more features to less expensive plans. Cricket ended the quarter with 4.65 million subscribers.

Cricket adds $25 plan

Last week we learned that MetroPCS was offering a $30 unlimited plan that included unlimited long distance and unlimited text messaging. They say it’s available for a limited time, and for new customers only, but it’s still a great deal for those who just use the phone’s basic functions. Cricket is trying to keep up, offering a $25 deal that would seem to undercut Metro’s plan, though it has a major shortcoming.

Cricket adds text messaging option to $1 PAYGo plan

Cricket wireless tried something new when they released their PAYGo plans. Instead of offering flat-rate, unlimited calling plans only on a monthly basis, PAYGo offers them daily. Their $1/day plan offers unlimited local calling and 10 cents per minute for long distance, but no text messaging. That changed over the weekend. Cricket will now offer an unlimited incoming text message plan for $1/day customers. Sent messages will cost 10 cents each. This is effective now, so $1/day customers should already have the option to begin text messaging.

Cricket adds LG Helix to handset lineup

It seems that regional carriers MetroPCS and Cricket wireless are always adding new handsets. Some of them are good, but many of them are low- and mid-range devices. That’s because the companies don’t subsidize their phones like contract carriers, putting the cost burden on the consumer. Since low-end handsets are cheaper, it makes sense to load up on them — they’re more affordable to the consumer. We learned yesterday that Cricket has launched the LG Helix, a clamshell phone that features a 1.3 megapixal camera and Bluetooth. It also contains a feature called Voice Clairty, which helps when talking in a noisy area. It’s $139.99, and it’s available now at Cricket’s website.

Cricket says no to Android, yes to mPortal

While Cricket wireless has expanded its nationwide distribution, making its product available to a larger swath of consumers, it will not move away from its core business. Cricket positions itself as a low-cost provider, and they know that adding high-end handsets can disrupt that message. Senior director of devices Sergio Garcia said that the company will not commit to Android handsets, an unsurprising move for Cricket. They might in the future, but for now they’ll focus on low-cost handsets, on which they can deliver an expanding range of content.

Cricket PAYGo headed to Target

When Cricket announced that they have distribution deals with big box retailers, they left out the specifics. We got word of one of them yesterday: Target. Cricket will be available at 650 locations starting Sunday, October 4. This will be Cricket’s PAYGo services, which were expanded last week to include $40 and $45 monthly plans in addition to the $1, $2, or $3 daily plans. Two phones will also go up for sale: the TXTM8 and the CAPTR. Again, look for the phones and refill cards on October 4.

Cricket upgrades domain name

Cricket wirelessCricket could become the nation’s No. 1 wireless carrier and it would still suffer from the same problem: its name. Not that Cricket is a bad name. But in the Internet age, having a fairly common word — not to mention a major worldwide sport — as your brand name can be rough. It means you might not get your brand’s domain name, and Cricket doesn’t have theirs right now. It was actually the subject of this blog’s biggest boo boo. Cricket.com is now dedicated to the sport, but that won’t stop Cricket from upgrading MyCricket.com. This weekend Cricket got a new domain, CricketWireless.com, reports Domain Name Wire.

Cricket releases low-priced CAPTR

Cricket has a new phone available, the CAPTR, pronounced “capture.” It’s as basic as they get, featuring a VGA camera, Bluetooth, and messaging capabilities. This includes MMS — what would a camera phone be without that? The good news is that it’s relatively cheap for Cricket: just $79.99 after a $50 web discount. You can get it at Cricket’s website.

Cricket to integrate monthly plans into PAYGo

Cricket wireless announced yesterday that they are adding new options to their PAYGo service. Introduced about a year ago, Cricket PAYGo is a pay-per-day version of the company’s unlimited services. Instead of paying a flat monthly fee, users can pay $1, $2, or $3 per day, only on days they use the phone, and receive varying levels of unlimited service. Yesterday’s announcement added monthly plans to the PAYGo offering. This brings with it two advantages: the absence of taxes and fees, and the ability to pay for the service with PAYGo top-up cards.

Cricket testing 10GB broadband plan

We live in a world of 5GB limits on data transfer for mobile broadband. All the major carriers impose this limit, and they charge sizable overages that do well to keep people under 5GB. Cricket is a bit different. They charge about $20 less than the major carriers — $40 vs. $60 for the big players — and while they have a 5GB cap, there are no overages. They just throttle the connection, moving you to an ant’s crawl across the Internet. Now they’re looking at an additional tier: $60 for 10GB. That would mean the same price as the big players, but for double the data transfer. It’s only a test for now, and there’s no guarantee that Cricket makes it publicly available. If they do, they could lock down a number of broadband customers looking for more than the standard 5 gigs.

Merger talk starting back up for Leap, MetroPCS

Will the subject of a MetroPCS/Leap Wireless merger ever go away? It might go on the mum for a while, but that’s only temporary. Until the two companies finally sign on the dotted line, pundits will continue to murmur about it. I discussed the topic on last month’s Prepaid Podcast, though none of the arguments were original. The framework has always been there for a deal, but nothing has materialized to date. Just as we did two years ago, we’re starting to hear about it again. In fact, Leap shares rose 7.5 on the strength of the renewed speculation. Still, don’t look for it to happen any time soon.

Cricket introduces durable MOTO VE465

The above-pictured device isn’t brand new; Alltel picked it up in March. It’s new for Cricket, though. The Motorola VE465 is a mid-range clamshell with EVDO data capabilities. It features a 1.3 megapixel camera, Bluetooth, and a music player with up to 4GB microSD expansion. There’s not much bragging to go along with this phone, so let’s cut to the chase. It’s available starting today, for $199.99 at Cricket’s website and at retail outlets.

Cricket looking for federal grant for wireless broadband

An interesting story around the prepaid wireless world is the SafeLink program which Tracfone uses to provide underprivileged families with cell phones. This works through the Universal Service Fund, which cellular consumers pay into monthly. Tracfone then uses that fund to provide a nominal number of monthly minutes to qualified low-income individuals and families. It looks like Cricket is going to try something similar, though they’ll be aiming for wireless broadband. Maisie Ramsay at Wireless Week has the story.

Cricket, Metro see slowed subscriber growth

The second quarter of each fiscal year is not kind to wireless companies. Nor is the third. The first and fourth quarters are the busy ones, so things are rarely as good as they seem then, and rarely as bad as they seem in the middle of the year. That’s one bit of encouragement for Cricket and MetroPCS, two companies which had strong first quarters followed by not so strong second quarters. Cricket added 203,000 net subscribers in the second quarter, down from 493,000 in the first quarter. MetroPCS gained 206,000 subscribers, a far cry from the 684,000 it added in the first quarter. Both companies had churn issues, as Cricket turned over 4.4 percent of its subscriber base, while Metro shed 5.8 percent.

Not to to be outdone, Cricket beefs up plans

When we learned of MetroPCS improving their service plans, we had to figure that Cricket wouldn’t be far behind. Almost on cue, they announced improvements to their service plans yesterday. These cover Cricket customers in “select markets,” so make sure to check and make sure they’re available to you. And, also not to be outdone, Cricket added new coverage to their roaming markets.

Cricket launches TXTM8

It was only a few weeks ago that the TXTM8 popped up on the Cricket Website. It was a promo — a teaser, if you will — as the company prepared for a launch. Down in the comments, reader Kelly let us know that it is now ready for purchase. Quickly running down the features, it has a full QWERTY slide-out keyboard, an MP3 player with an expandable memory slot, Bluetooth, and a 1.3 megapixel camera. So it’s not the most modern phone, but it’s a good fit for Cricket because of the price: $139.99. You can get it at Cricket’s Website or at a retail outlet.

Cricket launches service in Chicago convention hall

We’ve seen both MetroPCS and Cricket launch service in new markets this year, but we’ve yet to see an expansion quite like Cricket’s latest. This one involves an indoor network at Chicago’s McCormick Place, the nation’s largest convention center (at least according to the press release). It sees more than three million people pass through its halls each year for various conventions, so Cricket is obviously catering to quite the crowd here. But with Cricket’s regional nature, are they really better off with an indoor network at a site which hosts mostly out-of-towners?

Cricket readying TXTM8

Looks like it’s time for yet another phone to hit Cricket wireless. This is the TXTM8, which you can see at mycricket.com. It looks like a reissue of the Verizon Blitz, which is the UTStarcom TXT8010. Behind the stubby face is a full QWERTY keyboard which supports mobile Web, email, games, and Cricket navigation. Also featured: stereo Bluetooth, a 1.3 megapixel camera, and an MP3 player with 4GB microSD expansion. There’s no word on when it will drop or how much it will cost. We’ll be sure to pass those along in due time.

Leap CEO Hitcheson bullish on U.S. prepaid market

Much discussion lately has circled around whether prepaid wireless is here to stay, or if it’s an ephemeral trend which will dissipate as the economy strengthens. Obviously, those who work for prepaid wireless companies think that it has staying power. We’ve already heard executives from Boost Mobile and MetroPCS say as much. Now it’s time for Cricket wireless’s CEO to get a crack at it. Marguerite Reardon of CNET sits down with Doug Hutcheson to see what he thinks of the current landscape.

Cricket launching service in Mid-Atlantic

For people living in the Baltimore down to the Northern Virginia area, Cricket is headed your way. Word comes from the Washington Business Journal that the flat-rate, unlimited calling prepaid carrier will launch service in select markets on June 23. These include Baltimore, the western shore and southern Maryland, Fredericksburg, Virginia, and Frederick, Maryland. This will include D.C. There are plans for 100 retailers and dealers in the area, including 10 corporate stores.

Samsung MyShot II on Cricket website

That’s the Samsung MyShot II, the newest offering from Cricket wireless. It’s not a bad offering, a mid-range clamshell with an external display and a few bells and whistles. The camera is 1.3 megapixels, which is a bit disappointing since the phone’s name makes it seem like a camera special. It does have Bluetooth, mobile Web access, and a music player with 8GB microSD expansion, so that’s all good news. The data only runs on 1x speeds, a bit disappointing because of Cricket’s broadband capacity, but not a huge deal because of the phone’s nature (it’s not really designed for heavy Web browsing). It’ll cost $140, and you can nab it at Cricket’s website.

[Via Phone Scoop]

What does Leap have up its sleeve?

When news like Leap Wireless’s recent stock offering hit the wires, the standard procedure is to open it read it and throw it away. Yeah, it’s prepaid company-related news, but it’s not of real note as far as the end user is concerned. This time, though, perhaps it could foreshadow some future developments. After all, offering additional shares of stock means the company is trying to raise money. Perhaps they have something interesting in the offing.

Cricket readying QA4 Evoke launch, adds data charge

It’s been nearly two months since we first learned of the Motorola Evoka QA4, which would be launched by Cricket wireless. The release appears to be around the bend, as the company has set up a pre-order website for the device (via Phone Scoop). The only subsidy is a Web-only discount of $20, making the device $279.99. However, what’s strange is the monthly add-on Cricket will charge for the Evoke. Apparently a $50 unlimited voice, messaging, and data plan does not include what Cricket terms the HTML Data Feature. This is not only an additional $15 per month, but it is required for the Evoke. I wonder if it will negatively affect sales.

Could AT&T be looking to buy Leap Wireless?

This sounds like just a rumor for right now, but the word late yesterday was that AT&T might be considering an acquisition of Leap Wireless. That’s really it, though. It comes from The Wall Street Journal’s “Heart on the Street” column, and the only evidence is that both companies canceled appearances at investor conferences. Correlation does not imply causation, though, and there are plenty of reasons why such an transaction does not make sense.

Leap adds 493,000 subscribers in Q1

Despite the overall economic climate, prepaid carriers fared rather well in the first quarter of 2009. The latest to report their subscriber numbers is Leap Wireless. No on expected them to do as well as rival MetroPCS — Leap didn’t, after all, begin offering service in two of the nation’s largest markets. Even so, Leap did fine in their own right, adding 493,000 subscribers, which more than doubled their net adds from the same quarter 2008. It gives Leap 4.3 million subscribers at the end of the quarter, up 1.2 million from the same time last year. So things are looking good for Cricket.

Cricket choose Sitel for outsourced customer service

Customer service doesn’t have the most sterling reputation in the prepaid sector. In reading through the user reviews in our pay as you go cell phone provider reviews, it is evident that many people become frustrated when issues arise because customer service cannot aid in solving them. While this is no guarantee of better customer service, Cricket wireless has hired Sitel to take care of its bilingual customer service and tech support needs. This will be for both Cricket’s traditional cellular and mobile broadband services.

Cricket reduces price of Samsung MyShot to $79.99

Phone subsidies have forever been an issue with prepaid. The mainstream postpaid cellular world has made us accustomed to getting good phones relatively cheap. But because carriers like Cricket wireless don’t require contracts, they also don’t offer subsidies. This leaves their phones on the expensive side, at least relatively speaking. So when they have a sale, we’re all ears. This time they’re discounting the Samsung MyShot from $149.99 to $79.99. That’s after instant Web savings and a mail-in rebate. Click the link to get the details on the model. The sale runs through May 31.

Via Wireless and Mobile News.

Cricket launches phone recycling program

Apparently, today is Earth Day. In celebration, Cricket wireless has announced a cell phone recycling program. This is certainly an important issue that extends far beyond Earth Day. Not only can the parts used to make cell phones be reused, but the presence of these and other electronic devices in landfills is hazardous to the environment. So why not take an easy measure and recycle your old phone instead of throwing it away? Collectively it can make a big difference.

Cricket launches Motorola Hint

Didn’t we just see this device a few days ago? On Wednesday, MetroPCS launched the Motorola Hint, a slider QWERTY phone. Today, Cricket has followed suit, rolling out the device on their own network. This is the third carrier to launch it, so we’re pretty familiar with the specs, including MP3 player and 2 MP camera. The price is the same as on Metro: $249.99. It’s ready to go on Cricket’s website.

Cricket to offer service on Chicago subway

When I talked to Cricket’s Greg Lund at CTIA, I asked him about ways Cricket could expand given their limited network coverage. After all, it’s not like a company can just go out and buy spectrum (if they could, there’d be a lot more competition in the wireless space). He told me that beyond finishing the rollouts of their remaining AWS markets, that they’d get creative in how they expand business. Yesterday we heard one example. Cricket will be the third carrier to offer service on Chicago’s subway service.

Cricket goes nationwide with PayGo plan

In an effort to provide customers with more calling options, Cricket wireless introduced a daily PayGo plan in the latter part of last year. For $1, $2, or $3 dollars per day, only on days when the phone is used, customers can enjoy a varying number of unlimited calling and messaging features. The service launched as an experiment in limited markets, but now is ready to expand to all of Cricket’s markets. Now all of their 80 million-plus covered POPs will have access to both their flat-rate, unlimited monthly calling plans and their pay per day PayGo plans.

Cricket launches MyPerks information service

As if March wasn’t a busy enough month for Cricket wireless, they kicked off April with a brand new service. It is dubbed MyPerks, and that’s really what it is: a set of perks for mobile subscribers. This includes information and deals on products and services, from various retailers and restaurants in your local area. From the FAQ: “You’ll receive everything from daily specials at local restaurants and sales at your favorite stores, to prize giveaways for merchandise, food and tickets to sporting events, concerts or movies. You will also receive timely and useful information such as weather and fun information from the world of sports and entertainment.” To get MyPerks on your phone, just head to cricketmyperks.com, where you’ll find the FAQ, instructions, and more information about the specifics of the service.

Cricket annouces Motorola QA4 touchscreen phone

One thing I wondered when Cricket wireless started expanding and introducing mobile broadband was whether they’d move into high-end phones. It makes sense from a geek perspective, but from a low-cost carrier which doesn’t subsidize phones perspective it can go either way. Apparently they’re giving it a shot with the Motorola QA4. It’s a touchscreen with a slide out standard 12-digit keyboard. For features it sports a 200×400 LC touch screen, Bluetooth, 256 MB memory expandable to 16GB, a 2 megapixel camera, a full HTML browser, and video streaming capabilities. It’s looking like a May release with Cricket, though a price is not yet set. Expect a few hundred.

Cricket’s diversity makes it top company to work for

Does it matter to the consumer if a company is considered good to work for? I’m not so sure. A happy employee might be a helpful employee, but even then that employee might not be able to help you. So while it’s nice to hear that Cricket has been named a top 100 company to work for, I’m not so sure it means a better experience for the end user. It certainly doesn’t hurt, though.

Cricket launches Nokia 3606

At CTIA last year we learned that Nokia unveiled the 3606, an AWS-band phone. We played the guessing game at that point: which carrier would it land on? We finally got the answer: Cricket wireless. It’s a music phone, which is always a nice feature these days. You’ll need to take advantage of the microSD card, as the phone only comes with 15MB of internal memory. It is also Bluetooth ready, a 1.3 megapixel camera, , and a 262k color internal display. You can get it for $179.99 from Cricket’s website.

Cricket and Samsung working on world’s largest phone

A phone so big you have to dial like you’re Vanna White. Via Engadget, we learn that Cricket and Samsung have teamed up to create the world’s largest cell phone. It’s a Samsung Messenger, and boy are those keys big. They’ll officially unveil it today, and I can only hope they can transport it to CTIA. You can check out the process at getsomerespekt.com. Video after the jump.

Cricket launches in Philadelphia today

It’s all about keeping up with the Joneses, right? All the way back in July, MetroPCS expanded their network to the greater Philadelphia area. With new networks in New York and Boston, this gives them a large footprint in the Northeast. Now it’s time for Cricket wireless to present itself to the region. They’ll begin offering services in Philadelphia starting today. The City of Brotherly Love will now have access to Cricket’s unlimited voice and data plans, plus Cricket’s wireless broadband service.

Cricket launches Samsung r211

It looks like we have another member of Cricket’s entry-level phone club. This time it’s the Samsung r211, a candybar phone with a minimal feature set. There’s no Bluetooth, but there is a WAP browser and a USB input. And really, that’s about it. Cricket has added a few of these phones in the past month or so, with the Kyocera S1300 and the Cricket A100. It’ll cost $90, which is right in line with those devices.

h/t Phone Scoop

Syracuse man is Cricket’s four millionth customer

Talk about a surprise. Imagine walking into a Cricket wireless dealer, expecting to find a plan and phone that fits your needs. You’ve done your research, and you’re prepared to lay down cold hard cash for the device an service. Imagine then being told that you will receive the phone and the service — plus a broadband modem and broadband service — free for one year. That’s what happened to one Syracuse resident. He went to sign up for a Cricket plan and became their four millionth customer. Congratulations to Jeffrey Sodja, who took home the grand prize.

Cricket continues to help with good causes

Last year, we saw Cricket wireless not only expand their own network, but they helped other networks grow. They helped get out the vote and promote election awareness, which certainly falls outside the normal scope of a wireless company. We now receive news that they’re working with Rebuilding Together, a nonprofit working to preserve homeownership and revitalize communities. Kudos to Cricket for lending a hand, especially during these trying times.