Dec. 15, 2000--
There's a new player in the very competitive wireless phone business in Utah.
And the company hopes that your favorite color is green!
Keith McCord reports.
Get used to the bright color, you're going to see a lot of it.
On tv commercials.
(COMMERCIAL) MAN #1: "I USE IT INSIDE, OUTSIDE, AND ALL AROUND TOWN. SO WITH CRICKET, I DON'T NEED ANYTHING ELSE."
On buses, and on furniture!
Cricket Communications has just launched its service in Utah.
The concept: all local calls, incoming and outgoing, for a flat fee.
Steve Reifschneider/Reg. V.P., Cricket: "$34.95 A MONTH IS THE FLAT RATE, NO MATTER IF YOU TALK 2,000 MINUTES, 3,000 MINUTES OR 2 MINUTES. IT'S STILL $34.95."
Rick Barlow/Cricket G.M., Salt Lake: "THERE'RE NO MORE METERED PHONE BILLS TO WORRY ABOUT, NO COMPLICATED RATE PLANS, NO CONFUSING CONTRACTS."
Hence, Cricket's slogan "comfortable wireless," and the relax-on-the-sofa visual!
The wireless phone business is extremely competitive right now. There are a lot of companies offering various plans, each trying to carve out its own niche of customers.
So is there room for one more?
Apparently, yes.
STEVE REIFSCHNEIDER/REG. V.P., CRICKET:"IT'S REALLY HARD TO BELIEVE. 70 % OF THE AMERICAN PUBLIC
HAS NOT HAD WIRELESS IN THE LAST YEAR. 65% HAVE NEVER HAD WIRELESS."
The strategy is to go after that 65 percent, who basically just want a local, portable phone.
"IT'S BASICALLY, THE WHOLE CONCEPT IS WHERE YOU LIVE, WORK, AND PLAY. SO IF YOU TAKE YOUR PHONE TO DENVER, IT DOESN'T WORK. BUT THAT'S NOT WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH WITH THE SERVICE."
And back to the "green." As part of the roll out, Cricket purchased all of the tickets on TRAX today-- free rides for everyone.
Utah is Cricket's 10th, and largest, market so far. By the end of next year, the company hopes to provide service in 25 additional markets across the country.
For the same monthly rate, Worldcom offers 1,200 minutes.Verizon gives you 600, and
Sprint PCS includes 1,500 minutes. However, in these plans, long distance calls are included.
