Cricket moves through 2012. The first, via Phone Scoop, is session-based data plans. That is, data usage would come on-demand, rather than as a flat monthly fee. This will help more evenly distribute how much customers pay for data. Those needing more and faster connections will pay more, while those needing less will pay less. Carriers have been reluctant to do this in the past, since it brings unpredictable revenue. But with many companies complaining about a spectrum shortage, this is one possible solution. The other, and perhaps more realistic, item, via CED Magazine, involves Cricket working with Sprint on an LTE network. Cricket already has a roaming agreement with Sprint, and both companies are rolling out LTE networks. Hutcheson said that Leap is “very willing” to expand the LTE agreement to include roaming. Of course, this ignores whether Sprint is amenable to such an agreement. But the two companies do seem to work well together. This actually brings up another point. On Friday I wrote about how 2012 could be a big year for Cricket. AT&T could seek to acquire them after failing to nab T-Mobile. But considering how closely they’ve worked, and their need to expand spectrum and customer base, Sprint might actually make more sense. They also use the same CDMA network technology, which would help any potential transition. While nothing definitive came from Hutcheson’s talk, it did bring up many possibilities. If nothing else, it reaffirms that there’s plenty ahead for Cricket in 2012. ]]>
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