JD Power Survey: Verizon Wireless and T-Mobile Lead Regional Rankings

Wirefly customers may be interested to know that JD Powers has released the latest findings in its multi-part study of customer satisfaction with wireless phone service. This recently released part of the study measured satisfaction with call performance and quality. Carrier rankings were broken out across six regions in the United States, since quality depends heavily on where the cellular calls are made and received.

Among the wireless carriers included in the study, Verizon Wireless ranks highest in call quality in five of the six U.S. regions included in the study (including two ties).However, T-Mobile performs particularly well overall, with the highest rankings in all six regions (including four ties), because of high customer satisfaction with service plan options, cost of service and billing.

Study results by region are:

Northeast Region: T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless rank highest in a tie. T-Mobile performs particularly well in the areas of initial connection and in timely text mail notification. Verizon Wireless performs well due to fewer problems experienced with dropped/disconnected calls and voice distortion.

Mid-Atlantic Region: Verizon Wireless rank highest, with fewer reported problems in initial connection, dropped disconnected calls, static and voice distortion.

Southeast Region: T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless rank highest in a tie. T-Mobile performs particularly well in initial connection and calls not dropped/disconnected. Verizon Wireless experiences low problem rates in initial connection and voice distortion.

North Central Region: Verizon Wireless ranks highest among the largest group of ranked competitors, receiving the fewest reports from customers in the region of dropped/disconnected calls, static and voice distortion.

Southwest Region: New to the region this year, Nextel ranks highest overall, with fewer reported problems with dropped/disconnected calls and static versus the regional average.

West Region: Verizon Wireless ranks highest, with fewer problems experienced in the areas of voice distortion and dropped/disconnected calls.

The 2005 Wireless Call Quality Performance Study is based on experiences reported by 22,730 wireless users.

About Wirefly

Launched in 2003, Wirefly (www.wirefly.com) is an online leader in one-stop comparison shopping for cell phones, wireless service plans and wireless accessories. A wholly-owned subsidiary of Simplexity, Wirefly is an authorized dealer for every major cellular carrier, including Cingular Wireless, Verizon Wireless, T-Mobile and Sprint. Wirefly also offers discounts and services not available in retail wireless stores, including real-time online order status and tracking, and the guaranteed lowest price – online or anywhere else -- on cell phone devices from Motorola, Nokia, Samsung, LG, BlackBerry and many other cell phone handset manufacturers. Wirefly.com has been named Best of the Web by Forbes magazine as the “best all-around number portability portal” and “Best in Overall Customer Experience” by Keynote Performance Systems. For more information on Wirefly, its wireless products and its services, visit www.wirefly.com.

Launched in 2003, Wirefly is an online leader in one-stop comparison shopping for cell phones, wireless service plans and wireless accessories. A wholly-owned subsidiary of Simplexity. (NASDAQ: INPC), Wirefly is an authorized dealer for every major cellular carrier, including Cingular Wireless, Verizon Wireless, T-Mobile and Sprint. Wirefly also offers discounts and services not available in retail wireless stores, including real-time online order status and tracking, and the guaranteed lowest price – online or anywhere else -- on cell phone devices from Motorola, Nokia, Samsung, LG, BlackBerry and many other cell phone handset manufacturers. Wirefly.com has been named Best of the Web by Forbes magazine as the “best all-around number portability portal” and “Best in Overall Customer Experience” by Keynote Performance Systems. For more information on Wirefly, its cell phones and its services, visit www.wirefly.com.