Cell Phone Plans Reviews

We've split our coverage of cell-phone plans into two reports. This report compares monthly cell-phone plans. Our separate report on prepaid wireless covers pay-as-you go wireless plans. However, both types of service use the same networks, so call quality and reception are the same for each carrier, whether you use a monthly plan or a prepaid wireless plan. Prepaid cell phones are a good choice for those who don't want a long contract, for those who don't make a lot of calls or for those who don't otherwise qualify for a monthly contract.

While it may be tempting to focus on price when you compare wireless plans, the quality of service is equally important. That's a theory borne out in the marketplace. J.D. Power and Associates reports that customers whose complaints were not resolved were six times more likely to switch carriers. On the upside, J.D. Power and Associates also notes that call quality problems in general decreased 29% in the last year, so it looks like call quality, dropped calls and reception are improving.

It's not easy to compare cell-phone plans and service. You can't, for example, test the same cell phone in the same location using Verizon and T-Mobile. That's because there are two different network technologies at work. A mobile phone made to work on Verizon's CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) network will not operate on T-Mobile's GSM (Global System for Mobile) network. Even if you could use the same phone to test multiple wireless plans, you'd only have results for one particular location, and as you probably know, you could walk 500 feet away, try the test again and get different results.

Over the past few years, the industry has undergone a wave of mergers: Cingular with AT&T Wireless in 2004, and Nextel with Sprint. But these carriers haven't yet benefited from an increased coverage network. For example, Sprint’s call quality is consistently rated below average in nearly every region of the U.S. by J.D. Power and Associates. Other reviewers echo those findings, noting that dropped calls and customer service are particular sore spots. AT&T’s service, now the nation’s largest after the merger with Cingular, fares better. Its call quality was top rated in the Southwest region for the first time, according to the J.D. Power survey. However, AT&T landed at the bottom in three other regions. And AT&T’s customer service was rated as only average in every single region of the country.  ... Continued

Our Consensus Report shows how many times products are top-ranked by reviewers included in our
All The Reviews Reviewed chart.

# of Picks	Product	Price
4	Verizon Wireless	Plans start at *est. $40
4	T-Mobile	Plans start at *est. $30
2	Alltel	Plans start at *est. $40
2	U.S. Cellular	Plans start at *est. $40
1 each	AT&T, Sprint

In the largest surveys, Verizon and T-Mobile are consistently rated best, with owners reporting a higher level of satisfaction. Verizon scores top marks in other reviews as well. T-Mobile works on a GSM network, which allows for use overseas, and T-Mobile's plans usually give you more minutes for the money compared to Verizon Wireless. AT&T also currently works on a GSM network, but it doesn't receive high ratings compared to T-Mobile. The super-regional carriers like Alltel and US Cellular also score well in call quality and customer service in their respective coverage areas.