Best Reviewed
Cell Phone Plans
- Best cell phone plans Verizon Wireless *Est. $40
- Top regional cell phone carrier U.S. Cellular *Est. $30
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- Rollover minutes last for a year
- Large selection of phones
- Fast 3G data speeds
- Higher plan costs
- Fewer plan options
- Spotty connectivity and dropped calls
- Poor customer service
- 4G lags behind Verizon in reviews
In surveys by ConsumerReports.org, J.D. Power and Associates and PCMag.com, AT&T falls significantly behind Verizon Wireless (*Est. $40 per month and up) and regional carrier U.S. Cellular (*Est. $30 per month and up). Overall, AT&T receives below-average or poor scores for cost, customer service and call quality. It does tie for first place with Verizon Wireless for call quality in the Mid-Atlantic region in J.D. Power's survey, but it doesn't do well in the Mid-Atlantic in another respected consumer survey. It does win two nationwide 3G data speed tests, but it can't compete with Verizon's 4G data speeds. Since Verizon Wireless now offers the Apple iPhone, AT&T can no longer claim that exclusive benefit. One strong suit is that AT&T has rollover minutes that last a year.
The most reliable way to assess cellular provider performance is through large user surveys, the best of which poll users about their satisfaction with network coverage, call quality, customer service, plan options, technical support and cost. We consulted three major surveys: ConsumerReports.org, which bases its findings on responses from more than 58,000 subscribers in 26 major cities; J.D. Power and Associates, which polls about 26,000 users; and PCMag.com, which receives feedback on cell-phone contracts from more than 7,200 of its readers. PC World and Gizmodo.com both test AT&T's 3G speed against other carriers', Laptop Magazine rates its 4G network, and Computerworld briefly discusses its 4G capabilities. We also consulted TopTenReviews.com, which compares features (albeit not call quality) of 10 cell phone carriers, as well as user opinions at PhoneDog.com.
Our Sources
In this nationwide survey of about 26,000 people, J.D. Power and Associates polls cell phone users about service, support and call quality. AT&T earns below-average scores for customer care, with call quality ranging from excellent (in the Mid-Atlantic) to below average (in the Northeast, North Central and West), depending on where you are in the U.S.
Review: Telecom Ratings, Editors of J.D. Power and Associates, March 2011
2. ConsumerReports.orgDetails/Subscribe
ConsumerReports.org polls more than 58,000 of its readers in 26 major metropolitan areas, asking them to rate their cellular providers for value, customer service and call quality. Results are grouped by city.
Review: Overall Cell Phone Service Ratings, Editors of ConsumerReports.org, Jan. 2011
In this survey, readers rate key elements of cellular service, including call quality, customer service, plan options and cost. AT&T ranks last, scoring significantly below average on all but a few measures. AT&T does get high ratings for its choice of handsets.
Review: Cellular Service Providers: Contract Providers, Ben Gottesman, Sept. 7, 2010
Although it was the slowest a year before, AT&T's 3G network wins this speed test against Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile -- and testers find its connection just as reliable as the others, too. PC World tests the four networks more than 51,000 times in all, from 13 major cities nationwide.
Review: AT&T Roars Back in PCWorld's Second 3G Wireless Performance Test, Mark Sullivan, Feb. 22, 2010
5. Gizmodo.com
AT&T wins this 3G speed test, conducted by Gizmodo.com on laptops in 12 U.S. cities. AT&T's data speeds are consistently faster than those of Verizon Wireless, T-Mobile and Sprint -- but testers note that they didn't test for dropped calls, customer service or coverage.
Review: Our 2009 12-City 3G Mega Test: AT&T Won, Wilson Rothman, Dec. 21, 2009
6. Laptop MagazineDetails/Subscribe
AT&T flunks this 4G report card. In Laptop Magazine's tests, "We didn't see anything close to 4G speeds in New York and New Jersey," and "AT&T couldn't even tell us where 4G is available."
Review: 4G Report Card: Who's Winning, Who's Failing, Mark Spoonauer, March 18, 2011
Brian Nadel says AT&T's enhanced 3G network doesn't count as 4G. He includes only the Verizon and Sprint 4G networks in this test.
Review: 4G Shootout: Verizon LTE vs. Sprint WiMax, Brian Nadel, Feb. 3, 2011
TopTenReviews.com provides a side-by-side comparison of 10 cell phone service providers, and while it covers features and costs, it does not evaluate call quality. Editors bestow their Silver Award on AT&T, based on the carrier's wide selection of phones -- although it erroneously lists AT&T as the exclusive carrier of the Apple iPhone.
Review: Cell Phone Providers Review, Editors of TopTenReviews.com
9. Phonedog.com
More than 250 users post reviews of their experiences with AT&T, and a common denominator among the negative reviews is spotty coverage and poor call quality.
Review: AT&T User Reviews, Contributors to PhoneDog.com
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