AT&T recently indicated via its support web site that it will eventually discontinue offering Lifelife service through its Cricket prepaid brand.
Lifeline allows qualified Americans to receive free or heavily discounted wireless service through Cricket. AT&T will support Circket’s current CDMA Lifeline customers for the next 18 months, but it will not sign any new customers to Lifeline service on its GSM network.
The company explained, “Cricket is upgrading its CDMA network to 4G GSM and expects to stop offering CDMA wireless service as early as March 2015.” Cricket spelled out in capital letters that CDMA phones – including those used by Lifeline customers – will no longer work after it completes the transition to GSM/LTE. “When you transition to the new Cricket GSM network and rate plan, you will not be able to keep your Lifeline credit,” it said. AT&T said Cricket does offer plans as low as $25 per month, which are comparable to some of the Lifeline plans.
AT&T didn’t explain why it is discontinuing support for Lifeline.
