Cricket customers can now roam far and wide. The company’s nationwide 3G data coverage went live yesterday.

The prepaid carrier has been building up its selection of smartphones, including a pair of Android handsets. More smartphone users means more need for data everywhere and it looks like Cricket is addressing that need with this announcement.

“Data is increasingly important, particularly as the new smartphones we’ve introduced gain popularity across our customer base. We expect our ability to offer high-speed data services across the United States will expand our appeal to potential customers and provide a better customer experience,” said Doug Hutcheson, president and CEO of Leap, in a statement.

The agreement bumps Cricket’s 3G data network from 92 million potential customers (POPs) to 280 million POPs.

Cricket says it’s going to ease into the service. The nationwide 3G capability initially will be available for users of the two Android smartphones offered by Cricket: the Sanyo ZIO by Kyocera and the just-announced Huawei Ascend. The BlackBerry Curve 8530 will also be able to roam nationally.