Cricket Offers "Back-To-School Mobile Phone Pact" for Parents and Students

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SAN DIEGO, Aug. 19, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Teen smartphone usage is on the rise (up 14 percent since 2011[1]) as digital access and communication continue to grow rapidly among school-age children, and Cricket Communications, Inc. is providing families and students the technology and support they need this school season.

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To help ensure children are utilizing this newfound freedom responsibly year round, Cricket today introduces its Back-to-School Mobile Pact for Students, an agreement parents can share with their kids that outlines etiquette and behavior guidelines that parents can expect from any student with a wireless device.

Through guidelines such as avoiding distracted driving, putting the phone away during class time and not sending mean spirited messages to fellow students, among others, Cricket hopes to help parents remind their children that owning a mobile phone is a privilege, and responsible use is essential.

Parents can download one or more of Cricket's two Back-to-School Mobile Pacts (one for high school age children, and one for the younger set).

With 78 percent of teens ages 12-17 reporting they have a wireless phone, nearly half (47 percent) indicate they own smartphones[2]. This growth has also spawned unprecedented mobility access for students, as 50 percent of teen smartphone users now say they access the internet mostly via their phone. This can largely be attributed to social media engagement with friends, online application use, music access and surfing the web for in-the-moment research or fact checking, including for school.

Cricket is also helping parents 'shop smart' as they prepare to send their children back to school with special offers and information to help them navigate the ever changing world of wireless phone plans.

Families Look to Stretch Their Back-to-School Dollars

With parents budgeting less for back-to-school spending, families are seeking ways to stretch their dollar and spend less. Families with children in grades K-12 that plan to invest in a new tablet or smartphone can expect to spend $199.05 this year, compared to $217.88 spent in 2012[3].

Recognizing this desire for increased savings and spending less, Cricket urges consumers to reconsider their contracts with postpaid wireless carriers AT&T and Verizon, and instead pay half with Cricket Wireless[4] by making the switch to a no-contract service.

Must-Have Wireless Devices and Service at Affordable Prices

While parents may be focused on saving money, most students just want to look good, show off the latest gadgets and communicate with friends. Cricket offers the hottest back-to-school devices like the iPhone 5 and the Samsung Galaxy line, including the Discover, Admire 2, S III and S4, with nationwide unlimited (talk, text, music and data), no-contract smartphone rate plans starting as low as $45 a month[5] or $80 for two smartphone lines through Cricket's family plans.

Additionally, Cricket is bringing its customers the best value in wireless with the introduction of its new Phone Payment Plan to make it even easier to get the devices they really want. Cricket's recently launched Phone Payment Plan provides a great way to get a phone, with a low initial payment, such as $25 down for the Samsung Galaxy S4, and low monthly payments over time, instead of a large up-front payment or high monthly payments.

For more information about Cricket's dynamic service and newest device lineup and to check availability, visit www.mycricket.com or a store near you. Follow Cricket's latest news and updates via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram .

About Cricket

Cricket is the pioneer and leader in delivering innovative value-rich prepaid wireless services with no long-term contracts. Cricket offers nationwide wireless voice and mobile data services over high-quality, all-digital 4G LTE and 3G CDMA wireless networks. Cricket's innovative products and services, including the award-winning Muve Music^® - the first music service designed for a wireless phone, are available nationwide at Cricket branded retail stores, dealers, national retailers and at www.mycricket.com. For more information about Cricket, please visit www.mycricket.com.

[1] According to Pew Internet & American Life Project

[2] According to Pew Internet & American Life Project

[3] According to the National Retail Federation

[4] Requires enrollment in automatic bill pay; you pay $50 your first month and $45 each additional month of continuous service. Comparison based on AT&T Unlimited Nation Plan plus DataPro SmartPhone package as of April 2013, and Verizon's Unlimited Nationwide Plan plus Smartphone Data as of April 2013. Requires $15 activation fee per line. Rate Plan contains full speed data allowance. Once you reach your full speed data allowance, your speed will be reduced. See mycricket.com/fairuse for details. Coverage details at mycricket.com. Taxed and fees excluded. © 2013 Cricket Communications, Inc.

[5] When signed up for Automatic Bill Pay

SOURCE Cricket Communications, Inc.