Cricket Wireless Muscles Into Avenue U

A new player has entered the cellphone market on Avenue U.

Cricket Wireless, the no-contract, wireless service provider, opened up in a corner storefront last month at Avenue U and East 17th Street — directly across the street from a T-Mobile and an AT&T.

The company was in such a rush to get started that they’ve still not taken down the sign for the previous occupant, a japanese hair salon, and have draped a small banner above the store’s entrance.

Raymond Li, the store’s manager, said they were eager to open up ahead of an attractive promotion being offered by Cricket. They are still waiting for a permit from the Department of Buildings to change the sign. The store is also still awaiting some inventory — mostly cellphone accessories — but is otherwise fully stocked on everything else, Li explained.

“We were rushing to open so that we could offer that promotion,” he said.

The deal that motivated the store to open quickly, Li said, provides unlimited talk, text, and data or a five-line family plan for $100 a month. The store is also offering Moto E phones for $10 and HTC phones for $20, Li said. The promotions expire at the end of the month.

This is the third Cricket Wireless to pop up in Sheepshead Bay. Another outpost opened in August beside the7-Eleven at Nostrand Avenue and Avenue Y.