JD Power: Cell Phone Call Quality Up in '06

In March 2006, J.D. Power and Associates released a study indicating that wireless call problems experienced by customers are at the lowest level since the firm's first study in 2003, after showing an overall 8 percent decrease since 2005.

J.D. Power and Associates' Wireless Call Quality Performance Study is conducted semiannually and measures the performance of each major cell phone carrier--Verizon, Cingular, T-Mobile, Nextel, Sprint--by evaluating them on seven variables that have a negative impact on call quality. These variables are: dropped or disconnected calls; static and interference; failed connection on first try; voice distortion; echoes; no immediate voice mail notification; no immediate text message notification.

The study is based on the statistical analysis of responses from 23,368 nationwide wireless users. It breaks down the data into reported problems per 100 calls, using this as a unit of measurement to assess the performance of each of the major wireless carriers. Compared to the previous two years, calls with at least one reported problem have declined from 30 per 100 calls in 2004 to 26 in 2005 and to 24 in 2006--showing improvements of 15 percent and 8 percent respectively over the last two years.

"Wireless providers have made great strides in improving the quality of calls, especially in those areas that impact customer churn the most, such as calls that are dropped or disconnected," said Kirk Parsons, J.D. Power and Associates' senior wireless services director. "Improving network quality is a beneficial financial incentive for wireless carriers, as customers experiencing at least one call-quality problem are thee times more likely to indicate they 'definitely will' switch carriers in the future."

The study also shows that there are substantial differences in call quality depending on the location where the call is placed or received. For instance, calls placed or received indoors are more likely to experience problems than those placed or received outdoors. In addition, calls occurring in roaming zones experience almost 50 percent more problems than those occurring within a local calling area.

Which Cell Phone Carriers Give Fewest Problems
Of the major wireless carriers, the study indicates that T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless have the fewest wireless call problems in five of the six regions in the USA included in the study--with one region showing a tie between the two carriers. The highest-ranking carriers per region stand as follows:

• Northeast: T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless
• Mid-Atlantic: Verizon Wireless
• Southeast: Verizon Wireless
• North Central: U.S. Cellular
• Southwest: T-Mobile
• West: T-Mobile  

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.