ATT leads future demandA

AT&T appears to be continuing to build momentum in terms of attracting subscribers from other carriers, according to a recent ChangeWave survey. When asked to disclose the likelihood of defecting to another carrier in the next six months, 13 percent of consumers claimed they were very or somewhat likely to switch. Of that group, 33 percent said they plan to choose AT&T as their next provider, while only 24 percent expected to move to Verizon.

The iPhone has been credited as a primary factor contributing to AT&T's expanding customer-base. The latest numbers mark a six point increase from the last survey completed in December, and the best performance since ChangeWave started building records in 2005.

Despite leading in terms of future demand, AT&T remains behind Verizon when comparing customer satisfaction. Just 31 percent of surveyed AT&T subscribers claim they are very satisfied with their provider, while 50 percent of Verizon customers gave a top marks. The iPhone carrier fell in third place with the number of dropped calls, another area lead by Verizon.

Although Apple so far has chosen to maintain the exclusive distribution deal in the United States, customers in a number of other countries can purchase the iPhone from multiple carriers. Rumors suggest Verizon has been involved with talks regarding a possible iPhone deal, although CFO John Killian refused to comment. Killian did say, however, that his company is "not dependent on any one vendor."

AT&T's exclusive deal is said to expire in 2010, at which time Verizon's network will still be primarily based on CDMA technology. A deal is more likely in 2011, as the LTE standard will be adopted by both competing carriers. [via AppleInsider]

by MacNN Staff