Cell Phone Plan

It's not easy to compare cell-phone plans and service. You can't, for example, test the same cell phone in the same location using Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile. That's because each wireless service uses a different network technology. A mobile phone made to work on Verizon's CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) network will not operate on Sprint's PCS system or T-Mobile's GSM (Global System for Mobile) network. Even if you could use the same phone to test multiple wireless plans, you'd only have results for one particular location, and as you probably know, you could walk 500 feet away, try the test again and get different results.

For that reason, the most effective way to judge cell-phone service is through massive owner surveys -- massive enough that you'd still have thousands of respondents in the same areas -- enough that you'd be able to collect a consensus of opinion comprehensive enough to conclude which wireless carriers have the best network coverage, the fewest circuit overloads, the least number of dropped calls and the most effective customer service. Two reviews in our All Reviews chart have the budget and wherewithal to do just that. Consumer Reports magazine conducted its largest-ever survey in 2005, collecting responses from over 50,000 of its subscribers in 18 major cities. Meanwhile, J.D. Power and Associates expanded its 2005 survey by a few thousand respondents, polling over 24,000 households. PC Magazine conducted the third-largest cell-phone satisfaction survey, polling 8,000 magazine subscribers.