Cricket Wireless Does Not Offer Home Internet

Cricket Wireless is a mobile phone carrier owned by AT&T. It sells phone plans and phone service only — it does not offer home internet, broadband, or fixed-line connections to your house. If you are looking for a home internet provider, Cricket is not an option.

You may have seen Cricket advertised as a wireless carrier with low-cost phone plans. Those plans work on AT&T's network and cover calls, texts, and mobile data on your phone or tablet. Home internet is a completely different service that requires different equipment and infrastructure, and Cricket does not provide it.

Key Takeaways

  • Cricket Wireless only sells mobile phone service, not home internet or broadband connections.
  • If you need home internet, you will need to contact a separate internet service provider in your area.
  • Some carriers like Verizon and T-Mobile do offer home internet plans, but Cricket does not.
  • Your home internet provider and your mobile phone carrier can be two different companies.

What Cricket Wireless Actually Offers

Cricket sells prepaid and postpaid mobile phone plans. You buy a plan, put a SIM card in your phone, and use AT&T's cellular network to make calls, send texts, and use data on the go. The plans are month-to-month with no contract, and they tend to cost less than AT&T's main brand plans.

Cricket does not have the infrastructure to deliver internet to your home. Home internet requires either a cable line, a fiber-optic line, a phone line, or a wireless tower positioned to reach your address. Cricket has no separate home internet network and does not maintain those connections.

Which Carriers Do Offer Home Internet

Some major wireless carriers have launched home internet services in recent years, but Cricket is not among them. Verizon offers Verizon Home Internet, which uses 5G wireless signals to deliver broadband to your house. T-Mobile offers T-Mobile Home Internet through the same technology. Both require you to live in an area where their 5G network reaches your address.

AT&T, which owns Cricket, does offer AT&T Internet — but that is a separate service with its own plans and pricing, not available through Cricket. If you want AT&T's home internet, you would contact AT&T directly, not Cricket.

Your other home internet options depend on what is available at your address. Cable providers like Comcast, Charter, and Cox offer broadband. Phone companies like Verizon and AT&T offer fiber or DSL in some areas. Smaller providers like fixed wireless and satellite internet may reach rural addresses. Your mobile phone carrier and your home internet provider are usually separate companies.

How to Find Home Internet in Your Area

Start by checking what providers serve your address. Most internet providers have a tool on their website where you enter your street address and see what plans are available. You can check multiple providers — cable, fiber, fixed wireless, and satellite — to compare speed, price, and reliability.

If you already use Cricket for your phone, you can keep that service and sign up for home internet with a different company. There is no requirement to use the same provider for both. Many people use a wireless carrier for mobile and a cable or fiber company for home internet.

Why Home Internet and Mobile Service Are Separate

Home internet and mobile phone service use different technology and different networks. Mobile service relies on cell towers that broadcast signals over a wide area. Home internet typically uses a fixed line — cable, fiber, or phone line — that runs to your house, or a fixed wireless tower aimed at your specific location.

Because the infrastructure is different, most carriers specialize in one or the other. Cricket specializes in mobile phone service. Companies like Comcast and Charter specialize in home internet. A few large carriers like Verizon and AT&T offer both, but they operate them as separate services with separate customer accounts and billing.

What to Do If You Need Both Services

You can use Cricket for your phone and sign up for home internet with whichever provider serves your address best. You will have two separate bills and two separate customer accounts, but that is normal and does not cause any problems.

When you are comparing home internet providers, focus on what is actually available at your address, the read speed you need, the monthly cost, and any data caps or equipment fees. Do not assume that because you use one company for phone service, you have to use them for internet — you do not.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use Cricket's mobile data as my home internet?

Technically you could tether your phone to a computer or use a mobile hotspot, but this is not practical for home internet. Mobile data plans have limits, are slower than home broadband, and will drain your phone battery. Home internet is designed for constant use and higher speeds.

Does AT&T offer home internet even though Cricket does not?

Yes. AT&T Internet is a separate service from Cricket Wireless. You would contact AT&T directly to check if their home internet is available at your address. It is not the same company as Cricket, even though AT&T owns Cricket.

What if no home internet provider serves my address?

Fixed wireless home internet from Verizon or T-Mobile may reach you if you live in an area with their 5G network. Satellite internet from providers like Starlink or Viasat can reach rural areas where cable and fiber do not. Check each option by entering your address on their website.

Will switching my phone to Cricket affect my home internet?

No. Your phone service and home internet are separate services on separate networks. Changing your phone carrier does not change your home internet provider or your internet bill.