Cricket offers no-strings wireless deals

Cricket Communications Inc., which offers no-strings wireless service, officially launches Tuesday in the Chicago and suburban market.

But the San Diego-based company started about a month ago to lay the groundwork to battle other major wireless phone providers here, including long-established AT&T, Verizon Wireless, Sprint and others.

"We're very optimistic about our ability to compete here," said John Noelker, Cricket's Midwest regional vice president.

Cricket allows you to get month-by-month service on a variety of mobile phones, or even its own Cricket EZ phone, made by Cal-Comp. If you don't want a monthly arrangement, you can just "pay as you go." Either way, the provider doesn't do credit checks. There is no down payment. No contracts. No deposits.

If you're interested in packages, there are six that range from $30 to $60 a month, depending on the features. The most popular is $45 a month for unlimited local and long-distance calling and text messaging.

You pay for the phone and get the first month of service for free. So you have to stay with it at least that long, said Noelker, who lives in St. Charles.

We revealed in October that Cricket (www.mycricket.com) aimed to enter into the Chicago market. And to herald their arrival, the company staged quite a marketing gimmick this week by unveiling "the world's largest cell phone" in downtown Chicago. It was an 8-by-20 foot Samsung Messager and was even certified by Guinness Book of World Records. It's available to the public for real phone calls and texts through Wednesday.

So far, Cricket has opened more than 670 stores in Chicago and the suburbs, including Elgin, Arlington Heights, Aurora, Des Plaines and Palatine. It has hired roughly 2,400 people to staff its retail stores and even two administrative offices, including one in Rolling Meadows.

So far, Cricket has around 3.3 million customers nationwide and aims to boost that number, despite a tough economy. It starts service in Pennsylvania next week, Noelker said.

"During these tough economic conditions, we become very attractive to people who are watching their budgets," he said.