The most recent studies were just released by both J.D. Power and RootMetrics, and they both say the entire wireless community looks better and stronger than ever before. Users say AT&T Mobility and Sprint are the best, according to J.D. Power. In fact this is the fifth first-place award in a row for AT&T, and Sprint was noted as most improved. So what can we expect going forward?
The good news is every carrier improved over last year. Quality, reliability, speed and reach in the wireless industry continues to get better year after year. So congratulations to the entire wireless industry are in order.
In these two studies, J.D. Power said customers judged AT&T Mobility as best in quality and reliability, five times in a row. They also say Sprint Boost is the most improved, which is a major improvement during the last year.
RootMetrics looked at quality. This shows every carrier getting better and stronger. This is another important study since we increasingly use wireless. While not the focus of these studies, voice over LTE, or HD Voice, is key to vastly improved voice quality going forward.
As expected, AT&T Mobility and Verizon Wireless were at the top of both the J.D. Power and RootMetrics lists. AT&T led with J.D. Power and Verizon led with RootMetrics. However, both are at the top of their game.
Sprint vastly improved over such a short period of time. It is a much stronger No. 3 over last year, seeing the biggest improvement in quality and service.
T-Mobile US is still No. 4 and shows its greatest strength in urban, not suburban, areas. Its limited spectrum makes it difficult to show improvement, but it is still growing.
How to choose the best wireless carrier for you
J.D. Power and RootMetrics and other studies are an important part of the mix when deciding what carrier to choose. However they should not be the only test.
Also use past experience with carriers to determine which one is best for you. Your experience could be much better or much worse depending on where you are when you make the call. Carriers all have strengths and weaknesses. You must determine which carrier is strongest where you spend your time.
Other wireless carriers
Unrelated to these studies, after the big 4, U.S. Cellular is No. 5 with roughly 5 million customers. C Spire Wireless is No. 6 with roughly 1 million customers. Shentel and nTelos are Nos. 7 and 8, but are in the process of merging.
So, as you can see, the vast majority of American consumers and companies are customers of one of the big 4. There are reasons for this. AT&T Mobility and Verizon Wireless are at the top of the list, but both Sprint and T-Mobile US have been showing improvement and growth.
Bottom line, the wireless industry is stronger than ever, but is changing faster than ever. The RootMetrics and J.D. Power surveys report the news is good for these carriers and in fact the entire industry is better and stronger.
That’s something that should make every customer happy. Just spend some time and make sure you pick the best carrier for you because where you make your calls is all that really matters.
