Cricket is a Wireless Telephone Carrier operating primarily in larger metropolitan areas of the United States. It is in fact not it's only company, but a subsidiary/operation of Leap Communications. Leap first debuted the "Cricket" service in March of 1999 in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
The main selling point of Cricket couldn't be easier: flat rate wireless. Talk all you want, until your lips break, until your ears fall of or until the transducer coil in your phone burns itself out (don't laugh, I've seen it happen). All you pay is XX.XX a month (currently 34.95) and you can talk all you like.
But, sadly, that's where the good stuff ends. In a trade off for cheap wireless, you loose many other services that you expect on other pay-per-minute wireless carriers; things like text messaging or wireless data or even current-technology phones. However, few people currently demand these features.
The services offered are voice with standard features of Voice Mail, Caller ID and Call Waiting. The Phones offered vary from market to market but are generally Nokia 5150, 5160i or 5170i phones with many extended functions locked. Leap Communications has a bulk deal with Nokia for these models as very few providers sell them anymore as they are generally 3 to 4 years old technology.
But the upside of flat-rate wireless has made Crickets popularity soar and their market share increase from an average of 4% in 2000 to 17% in Q2/2001.
Their slogan is "Comfortable Wireless" and all their adds and promotion material prominently feature a big, green, "comfortable couch". Always, that friggin' couch.