Consumer Reports subscribers rank Sprint dead last among the four major U.S. carriers

According to Consumer Reports latest survey to determine the best carrier, which is based on votes cast by the magazine's subscribers, small carriers finished at the top of the list while large carriers like AT&T and Sprint finished at the bottom of the survey. The three that finished on top, Consumer Cellular, Project Fi, and Ting all scored high for value. It was Consumer Cellular that took home the trophy as the overall number one ranked carrier.

In case you're unfamiliar with the top ranked trio, Consumer Cellular is a post-paid MVNO. Project Fi is the hybrid pre-paid MVNO owned by Google. It uses Wi-Fi and cell service belonging to Sprint, T-Mobile, U.S. Cellular, and Three. Ting is an MVNO with an average monthly bill of only $23. The trio were the only carriers to score the highest mark for customer service. Project Fi was the lone carrier to score the highest data score. That includes cost, speed, and reliability.

On the downside, Sprint was the only carrier to receive the lowest score for voice and web. Interestingly, Verizon and AT&T, two of the most expensive wireless operators in the states, both received the lowest score for value. While T-Mobile didn't finish near the top for value, it did outscore its three rivals in that department.

Even though those using a pre-paid carrier are no longer looked down upon, only 13% of the 119,772 Consumer Reports subscribers who answered the survey are subscribed to a pre-paid service. Another important stat reveals that 86% of those answering the survey have been using the same carrier for more than two years. That indicates that consumers are loathe to play musical chairs when it comes to carriers. When they find one that they are happy with, they are willing to stick with them.

What is the catalyst that leads consumers to switch wireless firms when they rarely make a move? If you said price, you are dead right. Among those who switched to a new wireless provider over the past two years, over half said that switching to a lower priced service was the reason behind making the change. And almost 33% of those who switched ended up with a more reliable carrier, or with better reception because of the change.

source: ConsumerReports