The quality of wireless service an individual gets is highly influenced by where he or she is, according to cellular network performance study from J.D. Power. The firm found that problems are growing in the northeast, Mid-Atlantic and north central areas. The southeast is seeing reduced problems. Rural and urban areas have the most problems, while surburban areas have the least.
“As consumers anxiously await the availability of 5G outside of urban areas, providers that have invested in current 4G LTE infrastructure to improve network quality in the rural areas they serve have seen the fewest amount of network problems,” J.D. Power Managing Director Ian Greenblatt said in a press release. “It is no secret that the ROI on investing in rural areas is quite low, but as more rural customers shift to unlimited data plans, the notable incremental demand on the system necessitates investment to maintain the reliable network quality those customers have come to expect and enjoy.”
The study – “The 2019 U.S. Wireless Network Quality Performance Study—Volume 1″ – is based on responses from 32,159 wireless subscribers. Verizon Wireless had the fewest problems per 100 mobile device interactions in all regions:
- Northeast: Verizon Wireless (10 problems per 100 mobile device interactions), T-Mobile (11), AT&T (12) and Sprint (15). The average was 11.
- North Atlantic: Verizon Wireless (8), T-Mobile 11, AT&T (12) and Sprint (13). The average was 10.
- Southeast: Verizon Wireless (8), AT&T (11), T-Mobile (11 )and Sprint (13). The average was 10.
- North Central: Verizon Wireless (8), U.S. Cellular (10), AT&T (11), T-Mobile (12) and Sprint (15). The average was 11.
- Southwest: Verizon Wireless (9), AT&T (12), T-Mobile (12) and Sprint (13). The average was 11.
- West: Verizon Wireless (10), T-Mobile (11), AT&T (12) and Sprint (13). The average was 11.
In August, J.D. Power released research that found that customer satisfaction is lower on purchases at non-carrier stores than at a carrier store and that Amazon accounts for almost one third – 31% — of all online purchases.
