Who’s your
cell phone provider? Are you satisfied with the service?
I know
friends and family members who have AT&T for their iPhones. One has calls
dropped so frequently she tells people to call her on the landline.
I have
Verizon because I’ve read past Consumer Reports ratings that it has the best
coverage nationwide.
Top national provider
Again this
year, Verizon Wireless was the highest-rated major carrier in Consumer Reports’
annual cell-phone service ratings, based on a survey of more than 63,000
subscribers.
Of the four
major U.S. national cell-phone service providers, Verizon Wireless led the
pack, receiving favorable scores for voice and data service quality, and also
for support such as staff knowledge and resolution of issues.
Carriers with middle to low ratings
Sprint,
T-Mobile, and AT&T each received mostly middle to low marks, especially for
voice and text service quality.
AT&T was
among the lower-scoring providers, but its 4G LTE network was rated the most
favorably of any carrier. Its users reported the fewest problems with that
higher-speed service, which most new smart phones now use.
Providers with monthly billing and no contract
Consumer
Cellular, a national carrier that uses AT&T’s network, received high marks
in Consumer Reports’ Ratings of standard or monthly bill carriers. The
no-frills carrier serves users with the simplest wireless needs and offers
monthly billing without a contract.
The report
found that no-contract plans can save money. Two-thirds of those in the survey
who switched to “prepaid plans,” which usually lack a contract commitment and
bill each month in advance, saved more than $20 a month by switching. Those
savings can allow wireless customers to recover the cost of the phone, which
can be higher if they don’t sign a contract.
TracFone was
among the top-Rated prepaid providers, receiving high marks for value, voice,
and text. Like Consumer Cellular, it specializes in providing service to those
who seek simple, low-cost phone service.
Even consumers
whose phone needs are less than basic can save by going prepaid, according to Consumer Reports.
“Some
smaller carriers that scored respectably in our ratings and offer low-priced
plans, such as Straight Talk and Virgin Mobile, now offer fairly sophisticated
smart phones,” Paul Reynolds, electronics editor for Consumer Reports, said in
a statement. “And, you can even save by switching a phone from a major carrier
that’s coming off contract to a prepaid plan.”
Survey reports
A report summary
can be found online at ConsumerReports.org.
The full report is available online for subscribers and in the January 2013
issue of Consumer Reports, which is on newsstands now. Many libraries also
carry copies of the magazine.
The full report
includes:
- Detailed
ratings of cell-phone service providers in 23 metropolitan markets.
- Ratings of
smart phones and cell-phone retailers.
- Data-hogging
phone habits to avoid
- Advice on
choosing the right phone and plan.
- A comparison
of the Google Android vs. Apple iOS vs. Windows Phone operating systems.
- Tips on how
consumers save money on their cell-phone bills.
