Market research powerhouse J.D. Power and Associates this week released the first of its semi-annual reports on wireless call quality.
Verizon Wireless continued its string of strong showings in these reports, placing first or tying for first in 5 of the 6 geographic study areas. The news is good for all wireless telephone users, however, as the percentage of wireless calls overall with at least one problem (static, voice distortions, echo, etc.) declined by 14% since last year.
The study attributes the increased call quality to the industry-wide transition to third-generation networks and mobile devices that support always-on data connectivity and greater voice capacity. U.S. Cellular was the only carrier to beat Verizon Wireless regionally, nabbing the top spot for the North Central region, which includes Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin.
Qwest tied with Verizon Wireless for top honors in the West region.
T-Mobile also performed well, placing above the industry average for call quality in 4 of the 6 regions. T-Mobile suffered notably, however, in the Northeast region (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont), where it ranked last among the big four carriers. Consumers in New England and New York should therefore give extra thought to call quality before choosing T-Mobile for their
cellular service. Sprint-Nextel was a big loser in the study, coming in at below the industry average in 5 of the 6 regions surveyed.
Source: Telecommunications Research and Action Center. http://www.trac.org
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