The nation’s three largest wireless operators have the highest percentage of customers under contract for more than 12 months, according to consumer data research compiled by Stax Inc.
The research firm noted that 43.1 percent of Verizon Wireless customers, 42.9 percent of Cingular Wireless L.L.C. customers and 41.8 percent of Sprint PCS customers are under contract with their respective operators through at least the end of this year. T-Mobile USA Inc. has the fewest customers under contract for more than a year at 10.7 percent at the end of 2004.
T-Mobile USA, which typically requires only a one-year contract for new customers and has historically posted the highest churn rate among its nationwide competitors, also has the highest percentage of customers with contracts expiring within the next three months at 11 percent. U.S. Cellular Corp. has the lowest percentage of customer contracts expiring in less than three months at 2.6 percent, according to the Stax survey.
