Report: AT&T attracting 33% of switching subscribers
updated 09:50 pm EDT, Tue May 26, 2009
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]
"...on any one vendor"
05/26, 10:46pm reply
Er, what carrier is?
slider
Mac Elite
Joined: Oct 1999
"...on any one vendor"
05/26, 10:46pm reply
Er, what carrier is?
slider
Mac Elite
Joined: Oct 1999
Considering Sprint
05/26, 11:17pm reply
They might want to worry. I have an iPhone and haven't considered any other phone because they don't hold water to it. BUUUUTTTT, with the Palm Pre I am considering it. Just because of the interface, the fact that I find myself using basic items like email, internet, facebook etc, and overall I would save $50 a month and not only would I get internet on my phone but so would my 2 other line along with tv and navigation. Sorry for the super run on sentence. But I haven't ever considered Sprint but I'm starting too.
amartins02
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Jul 2007
I'm soon switching
05/27, 01:37am (4 replies) reply
Heading over to AT&T. This is a big deal for me, because my twin sister works for Verizon and our entire family has been on Verizon for at least a decade. Verizon has been awesome in my native Pennsylvania and even in central New York. Now that I've moved across the country to California, it no longer rocks. I get dropped calls all the time now, and often really bad connections.
My sister has been parroting the VZW anti-iPhone talking points, since the original was announced over two years ago. Knowing that I was going to switch at the end of our current contract, she valiantly attempted to push the Storm on me as "iPhone-like" and denied the return rate for over a month, until she could no longer lie about what a t*** it had been for them.
Sometime around January, something happened, and she changed. She no longer tried to keep us in the fold, and gave me all of the necessary tips on how to switch to AT&T, and what pitfalls I may have faced with Verizon on my way out. The only reason I have not yet switched is because I have been waiting for the refresh to make the jump.
I just hope that the AT&T network can perform somewhere between where Verizon used to perform for me, and the underwhelming performance that I get from the Verizon network now.
-- Len
LenE
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: May 2004
AT&T
05/27, 09:21am (1 reply) reply
Moving to Calif? I am 'native' and dropped At&t after having no service in home area (despite the 'coverage map'), as well as dropped/no calls while traveling. Ported to Verizon and get exc. signal inside home and on every cross-country road-trip. There's no comparison as to real-world cellphone coverage between the two (At&t/Vzn).
I will say that there are more 'neat' phones on GSM (makes sense due to world market). I make do with a Vzn cell (and business) and an iPod Touch for 'play'.
WalterC
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Jul 2008