MILWAUKEE, Wis. (April 6, 2007) – Wireless consumers across the country continue to experience a higher level of call quality, according to J.D. Power and Associates. According to the J.D. Power and Associates 2007 Wireless Call Quality Performance StudySM, U.S. Cellular ranked highest overall in the North Central Region with fewer problems in initial connection, dropped or disconnected calls, static and voice distortion. The region includes Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio.
“U.S. Cellular is committed to ensuring that our customers have the best wireless experience and therefore access to the best wireless network in the country,” said Mike Irizarry, U.S. Cellular’s executive vice president and chief technical officer. “We are thrilled to receive recognition for our efforts to offer a high-quality wireless experience from an organization as respected as J.D. Power and Associates. And we’re particularly excited to have received this honor for three consecutive reporting periods.”
Conducted twice a year, the study measures the number of problems experienced with wireless call quality in seven customer-impacting areas: dropped/disconnected calls; static/interference; connection on first try; voice distortion; no echoes; no immediate voice mail notification; and no immediate text message notification.
The nationwide study of all wireless carriers also concluded:
· The overall rate of customers experiencing a wireless call quality problem has declined for the third consecutive year.
· The number of calls experiencing voice distortion decreased by 33 percent since the 2006 study.
· The number of dropped and disconnected calls decreased by 14 percent when compared to the 2006 study.
Headquartered in Westlake Village, Calif., J.D. Power and Associates is an ISO 9001-registered global marketing information services firm operating in key business sectors including market research, forecasting, consulting, training and customer satisfaction. The firm’s quality and satisfaction measurements are based on responses from million of consumers annually. J.D. Power and Associates can be accessed through the World Wide Web at www.jdpower.com.
U.S. Cellular is the nation’s sixth-largest wireless service carrier, serving 5.8 million customers in 26 states. The Chicago-based company operates on a customer satisfaction strategy, meeting customer needs by providing a comprehensive range of wireless products and services, superior customer support and a high-quality network.
