Cricket Wireless CDMA Shut Down Schedule

January 10, 2015/Prior Staff Writers

Cricket Wireless has announced a schedule to shut down their legacy CDMA network in three different phases. The shutdowns are expected to happen on a rolling basis and the market shutdown will begin a month before the first ‘sunset date’ and be closed by the bill cycle at the end of the ‘sunset date.’ For example, the first sunset date is March/April. Customers will have their CDMA service terminated by the bill cycle beginning March 15, and the CDMA network will be completely shut down in those markets by April 15. Here is the schedule for the shutdown: March/April
  • Washington, DC
  • AR:  Little Rock, Fayetteville and Fort Smith
  • DE:  Wilmington
  • IL:  Chicago and Northern Illinois
  • IN:  South Bend
  • MD:  Baltimore
  • NJ:  Atlantic City
  • NY:  Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse
  • PA:  Philadelphia
May/June
  • KS:  Wichita
  • NM:  Albuquerque and Las Cruces
  •  NV:  Las Vegas
  • OK:  Oklahoma City and Tulsa
August/September
  • All other legacy CDMA markets not listed above will be turned off by mid-September, 2015.
  Cricket customers should have been prompted to move from the old CDMA network to the new GSM network. If you are still using the CDMA network (meaning you don’t have a Cricket Wireless SIM card), contact Cricket Wireless to see what you need to do in order to switch to their new, AT&T-powered network prior to the shutdown date. If your phone is still active on the network when they shut it down, you may have trouble reclaiming your number.]]>

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2 Comments

  1. Paul Quillinan on February 19, 2015 at 3:45 pm

    What about Mobile Broadband modems?



    • Liz E. on February 19, 2015 at 4:55 pm

      Cricket’s website says that mobile broadband users don’t have to switch right now, but I would double check with Cricket and see because I bet that is going to be phased out as well.
      From Cricket’s website: The following customers do not need to switch to the new network at this time: Lifeline customers, broadband mobile hot spot customers, PAYGo customers, and, customers that purchased CDMA handsets after March 13, 2014. These customers should contact Cricket for further information.
      Hope that helps!