Consumer Reports Wireless Carriers: Find the Best Cell Phone Carrier

Choosing the right cell phone carrier can be overwhelming, but Consumer Reports is here to help. They evaluated 10 major carriers, including AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon, to find the best one for you.

AT&T, for example, offers the fastest data speeds among the carriers tested, with an average download speed of 19.3 Mbps. This is likely due to their extensive 4G LTE network.

T-Mobile, on the other hand, offers the most comprehensive international coverage, with service in over 200 countries. This makes it a great option for frequent travelers.

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Verizon Wireless tops the ranking of the four major U.S. cellphone carriers by Consumer Reports.

Verizon Wireless led the pack, receiving favorable scores for voice and data service quality, and also for support attributes like staff knowledge and resolution of issues.

Sprint received the lowest overall reader score of any carrier in the survey for the second consecutive year.

T-Mobile and AT&T are essentially tied in overall satisfaction, a departure from the past couple years when Verizon held a clear lead.

T-Mobile received the highest mark of the group for value, as well as for resolving issues promptly and customer service staff knowledge.

AT&T earned the top mark for 4G reliability.

Seventy-three percent of respondents had traditional cell phone contract plans, while only 11 percent had traditional no-contract plans.

Those with traditional no-contract plans were the most satisfied with their carrier, with an average overall reader score of 78.

Smaller providers like Ting, Consumer Cellular, and Republic have excellent satisfaction ratings because they're designing innovative strategies to keep plan costs down for their customers and simplify their service options.

Consumer Cellular and Ting garnered ‘excellent’ marks for value, and for data service reliability despite running on lower-Rated networks.

Republic Wireless surpassed TracFone as the top-Rated prepaid carrier.

Seventy-five thousand CR members shared their views on their provider’s offerings, including the value of the service they use, customer support, data service, cellular reception, and consumer experience.

Ting provides U.S. service using Sprint’s network, while Consumer Cellular uses AT&T’s.

Verizon still stood out with high marks across the board for voice, text, web, and 4G reliability.

Two-thirds of Consumer Reports survey respondents who switched to so-called “prepaid plans” saved more than $20 a month by switching to prepaid.

Only 11 percent of respondents had traditional no-contract plans, while an additional 11 percent had prepaid service.

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Consumer Reports' survey of over 100,000 subscribers found that customers of smaller cell phone service providers tend to be happier with their service overall.

Smaller providers are doing a better job at bringing in new customers, largely due to lower costs. This is good news for consumers looking to switch providers.

According to the survey, customers who switched reported that their new plan gave them better customer service, cellular coverage, call quality, and/or data speed.

In fact, 75,278 CR members shared their views on their provider's offerings, including the value of the service they use, customer support, data service, cellular reception, and consumer experience.

T-Mobile is a better deal, but it still ranked lower than some of the smaller providers. If you're considering switching providers, make sure to read the fine print on the company's website to see if and when it reduces data speeds.

People who use Consumer Cellular and Ting gave top marks for value and customer service, but they were also quite pleased with data and voice. Consumer Cellular runs on the AT&T network and offers combo text, talk, and data plans for as little as $25 per month.

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Consumer Reports has surveyed over 100,000 subscribers to rate their cell phone service, revealing some surprising findings.

Smaller wireless providers are doing a better job at bringing in new customers, largely due to lower costs. Customers of smaller providers also tend to say they're more satisfied with their service overall.

In fact, 75,278 CR members shared their views on their provider's offerings, including the value of the service they use, customer support, data service, and consumer experience. This data suggests that smaller providers are offering better value and customer service.

T-Mobile is a better deal than the big four wireless providers, but it still ranked lower than some of the smaller providers. People who use Consumer Cellular and Ting gave top marks for value and customer service.

If you're thinking of switching to a new provider, be sure to check your data usage to avoid any potential issues with data speeds and coverage. You can do this by logging in to your current provider's website to review your bills.

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Some of the best smaller providers include Consumer Cellular, Ting, Republic Wireless, Cricket, and Page Plus Cellular. These providers often offer lower prices and better customer service than the big four.

It's worth noting that switching to a new provider may have an impact on your data speeds and coverage, so it's essential to choose a plan that gives you enough high-speed data. Be sure to read the fine print on the company's website to see if and when it reduces data speeds.

If you're thinking of switching wireless carriers, you're not alone - 75,278 Consumer Reports members shared their views on their provider's offerings, including value, customer support, data service, and more.

Smaller providers are doing a better job at bringing in new customers, largely due to lower costs, and customers of smaller providers tend to say they're more satisfied with their service overall.

Before you switch, be aware that it could impact your data speeds and coverage, so it's worth checking how much data you and others on your current plan use per month.

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According to Consumer Reports, more than half of those who switched providers in the past two years saw a big drop in their monthly bill.

To find the best cell phone service for you, check out the ratings and reviews from Consumer Reports, which are calculated using survey data from over 100,000 members.

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