Verizon had the fewest wireless service problems of all U.S. providers, according to the J.D. Power 2020 U.S. Wireless Network Quality Performance Study. The company finished first in all six regions covered in the wireless service problems report, with the lowest network quality problems per 100 connections (PP100) in call quality, messaging quality and data quality in each region.
At the other end of the spectrum was Sprint, which finished at the bottom in five of the six regions, and was tied at the bottom in the Southwest with T-Mobile, each having 11 problems per 100 device interactions.
Verizon had between seven (in each of three regions) and nine (Southwest) problems per 100 device interactions. Sprint had between 11 (in the Southwest, as mentioned earlier) and 14 (West). The results released this week are the latest in a range of J.D. Power research that has found Verizon in the lead in providing wireless service.
Wireless Service Problems Report
Urban residents had the most wireless network quality problems, according to the J.D. Power wireless service problems report. Those with the best network quality were consumers in the suburbs, while consumers in rural areas also had severe network quality issues.
“The network quality problems wireless customers are experiencing in urban, suburban and rural areas each require different solutions, given the unique nature of their environments,” said Ian Greenblatt, managing director at J.D. Power, in a prepared statement. “Managing customer expectations for speed and reliability will be critical across these different tiers because the user perception of speed on a high-band frequency vs. a low-band frequency will be very different, driving dissimilar experiences. The continued rollout of multitier 5G strategies, delivering shorter-range, high-band frequencies in densely populated urban settings and longer-range, low-band frequencies in rural settings has the power to address these challenges, but only if providers properly set those expectations against the reality of the real-world speeds of 5G.”
The wireless service problems report added that as a wireless network and phone technology has improved, customer usage patterns and overall reliance on wireless devices have evolved. Carriers that meet customers’ expectations and provide a satisfying network quality experience are well-positioned to improve customer satisfaction, influence brand advocacy and loyalty, increase monthly spend and maximize sales.
