“To hear that AT&T ranked dead last in customer satisfaction in high-profile markets like New York and San Francisco isn’t all that surprising. It’s common knowledge that the average AT&T iPhone drops 30 percent of all calls in New York City, and complaints about lousy service in the Bay Area are legion. But to find that the carrier placed last in 17 other cities as well suggests that AT&T’s shortcomings are more widespread than the carrier would have us believe and not simply the product of a high concentration of iPhones in the country’s larger cities,” Paczkowski reports.
“With low marks for several key indicators of customer satisfaction–including service availability, circuit capacity, dropped-call frequency and voice service–across 73 percent of the markets Consumer Reports surveyed, it’s pretty clear that AT&T has become overextended by the popularity of the iPhone,” Paczkowski reports. “Which is bad news for the carrier and, of course, for iPhone owners as well.”
Paczkowski reports, “As Consumer reports notes, ‘Apple’s iPhones are the top smart phones in our Ratings–actually, among the best of all phones we tested, period–but their exclusive carrier, AT&T, was middling at best in satisfaction….If you’re readying to buy Apple’s phone, prepare for possible disappointment with its service and expect to love the phone anyway. Despite the network problems, a staggering 98 percent of iPhone users in our cell-phone-buying survey were satisfied enough to say they would definitely or probably buy the phone again. Only 79 percent of respondents who bought other cell phones said the same.'”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: That’s some disconnect.
Nice take MDN. I wonder what ATT’s hangup is?
“…98 percent of iPhone users in our cell-phone-buying survey were satisfied enough to say they would definitely or probably buy the phone again.”
The remaining 2% said they would whack an iPhone user in the street steal his phone and swap GSM cards. If arrested they’re pretty sure they heard something about jail breaking and iPhones.
While AT&T;is upgrading constantly, they can take as long as they want…..as long as they are the only suppliers of the iPhone.
I can’t imagine they will ever get around to covering all the US with 3G, since 4G is already out in some markets.
My workaround: run WiFi and use cell only when needed. It keeps me happy.
Where’s R2 whinging about ATT and worshipping Verizon when you need him?
ATT clearly needs to up it’s game with it’s network but the iPhone would have crushed and wireless carrier in the US. The good news is we are finally seeing carriers put some effort into upgrading the wireless data service in the US.
It’s pretty clear that AT&T;wasn’t prepared for the growth rate of the iPhone. I don’t think any carrier could have forseen what the device has become.
If the iPhone were a normal phone, these kinds of surveys would be far more even. Let’s stick 14,000,000 iPhones on any other carrier in this country and see what happens.
Personally I have not had the issues that people complain about with AT&T;service. In fact it has been the opposite for me: verizon was awful and dropped calls constantly, but since we have been with AT&T;we couldn’t be happier with the coverage and call quality.
Erk
No wireless carrier will cover all of the US with any type of signal. There’s no reason to waste time and resources covering areas where no one lives.
Are you listening Steve? Give T-Mobile the iPhone to take some heat off ATnT. You also may just sell a whole bunch more iPhones.
Reminds me of the couple we all know where you can’t stand one of them, but the other is so cool/pretty/nice/handsome/charming/etc. that you put up with the other.
I say iPhone needs to see other people!
I don’t have too much problem with ATT.
I came from Sprint – which I rarely had a problem with, but never came in my friends basement.
I have ATT now with the iPhone – I get a dropped call maybe once every 2 weeks, not so bad – but sometimes, maybe twice every two weeks I get a VM alert but the phone never rings… which is frustrating, but that’s all.
I can take those few grievances, for the price of owning an iPhone.
I reside in the Twin Cities, btw.
More evidence that AT&T;’s share price is going to plummet as soon as their exclusive deal expires. People want the iPhone but not AT&T;.
Obviously, the iPhone slammed their network, and the continuing expansion of sales continues to increase the numbers of iPhone users on the ATT network.
ATT has noted that it intends to spend 15 billion – that’s with a “B” – dollars on its network expansion program next year. Nice to know that they are putting their money where their mouth is.
Now if it would be a little faster in the updating …
@Twilightmoon
I mean extending the coverage of 3G to the area of EDGE now, can’t see them doing that, not with 4G service already happening in some areas
Ironic that when went to read this my data connection timed out. Full bars in dallas market.
This is madness! Pandemonium!
Release us, Steve! End the madness that is your exclusivity agreement with ATT and allow us to enjoy the iPhone on America’s best network in June 2010! That’s what you wanted, Steve. That’s why you came to them first. You wanted Verizon blood pumping through the iPhone’s veins but they couldn’t recognize its power. Now they see, Steve. Now they’re ready to bend to your will after learning a hard lesson and you must do what’s right!
RELEASE US!! RELEASE US FROM THESE SHACKLES!!!
I live a ittle off from the capital of NY State, no one here wants cell phone towers in their back yard. Interesting, Verizon doesn’t work at all in our house, so we were forced to go Sprint, which has served me well up and down the East Coast. Our contract is up- amazing we can’t find anyone with an iPhone to come over and let us see how well AT & T works in our house at least! You go to the stores and they all say the same thing that I see: “coverage on the map looks good.”
I want an iPhone!
The AT&T;syndrome strikes again!!!
Cant live with it, cant live without it!
Too many subscribers at once can bring any network down, servers have been downed and even Apple with MobileMe got downed too.
All those scenarios lead to the AT&T;syndrome.
Apparently I’m in the minority, then, of folks who have absolutely no problems with AT&T. Everything’s been rock-solid reliable for me since day one.
Near Portland, Oregon, and happy with AT&T;. There’s a spot on I-5 where the calls always drop but otherwise things seem OK.
Here comes the “I Heart ATT” army that mysteriously popped up when the company began to worry about disgruntled iPhone customers.
“Oh man, I don’t know about you guys but I love ATT.”
“Oh wow, ATT is so great! Thumbs up!”
“Before service didn’t work too well in my area, but now I get amazing coverage. Thanks ATT”
“You guys, there’s really not that much difference between the networks. I’ve tried them all and ATT isn’t any worse or better than the rest.”
There is a revolution at your doorstep, ATT, and it won’t be smothered by your legion of paid astroturfers.
twilightmoon:
…”Where’s R2 whining about AT&T and worshiping Verizon when you need him?”
I hope you’re happy…
I don’t know why satphones never caught on. Their coverage is everywhere on earth.
I’m standing outside in the snow waiting for a call on a satphone right now.
@R2
I am not an astroturfer. I am a customer that has been with every major carrier in the US at one point or another. So far, at least in my area (Charlotte NC), ATT has been great for me. I have had Sprint, T-Mobile/Voicestream, Verizon/Bell Atlantic, and Cingular/ATT. We were Verizon customers until we switched to iPhones in 2007, and to be honest, we have not experienced these issues. I think it’s like any carrier in the US, weak in some areas strong in others.
Also since the majority of tech media is centered in SF or NYC, problems in those areas get reported with a giant bullhorn. So, like anything, take it with a grain of salt. If this report by CR is truly random, then that says bad things about ATT. However, if the report is population based, then the highest population centers (NYC, SF, LA) would report the most in the survey, hence causing a discrepancy.
This is very old news. ATT is terrible when it comes to data and calling here in the bay area. I go to school 3 miles from Apple HQ in cupertino and I cant get decent service in most places, seems stupid to me. ATT needs to do something and fast. my call drops have increased by 3x since the release of the 3gs. its the only thing keeping the iphone down in the US. I am seriously thinking of deactivating my account and switching to verizon, or even t-mobile. its sad….Please help us ATT!!
That’s quite ironic. People buying iPhones knowing they’ll get not so good ATT service. That’s some brand loyalty!
Julian @ http://no-spamming/