PORT WASHINGTON, NEW YORK, MARCH 21, 2013 –According to the new Connected Intelligence Carrier Smartphone Report, from global information company The NPD Group, network speed has grown significantly in importance from 25 percent of smartphone owners considering a switch in carriers in Q4 2011 to 41 percent in Q4 2012. Network reliability and better coverage also grew in importance among those consumers.
“With more data-hungry applications and content hitting smartphones, consumers need to make sure they have a network that’s fast enough to enhance their experience, no matter where they go,” said Brad Akyuz, director, access practice, NPD Connected Intelligence. “Consumers are willing to break ties with a network that can’t support their data needs and are leaning towards carriers that can provide enhanced data networks.”
Verizon Wireless is the top choice among cellphone owners when it comes to network speed, followed by AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile. T-Mobile, even though being ranked fourth, was the only other carrier besides Verizon to increase customer perception of its network data speeds.
“Overall, Verizon Wireless receives high marks from consumers for everything from pricing and reliability to speed and device selection, and that sentiment continues to grow,” said Akyuz. “Verizon operates the largest 4G network in the U.S. and has put a lot of marketing dollars behind its 4G LTE, which appears to be paying off. T-Mobile has also made strides in how consumers perceive their network speed. They were the only other carrier to gain ground.”
Methodology
The Smartphone Carrier Report data is sourced from the Access Adoption and Intent survey of 3,500 U.S. consumers from The NPD Group’s online panel. The study was fielded in Q4 2012.
About Connected Intelligence
Connected Intelligence provides competitive intelligence and insight on the rapidly evolving consumer’s connected environment. The service focuses on the three core components of the connected market: the device, the broadband access that provides the connectivity and the content that drives consumer behavior. These three pillars of the connected ecosystem are analyzed through a comprehensive review of what is available, adopted, and consumed by the customer, as well as reviewing how the market will evolve over time and what the various vendors can do to best position themselves in this evolving market. For more information: http://www.connected-intelligence.com. Follow Connected Intelligence on Twitter: @npdci.
About The NPD Group, Inc.
The NPD Group provides global information and advisory services to drive better business decisions. By combining unique data assets with unmatched industry expertise, we help our clients track their markets, understand consumers, and drive profitable growth. Sectors covered include automotive, beauty, entertainment, fashion, food/foodservice, home, office supplies, sports, technology, toys, video games, and wireless. For more information, visit www.npd.com and npdgroupblog.com. Follow us on Twitter:@npdtech and @npdgroup.
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