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The ratings game has become one of the favorite pastime of many. Customers do give a ‘dime’ to experts’ reviews on cellular plans before subscribing to a new service. The reason for the popularity of these ratings is that they are an outcome of mostly an extended research and data collection.

Wireless providers are now an integral part of American society. It is not only the city dwellers who use cell phones regularly but almost everyone if coverage is available. People want to buy those packages and subscribe to those companies that have a good standing nationwide.

We have picked the two most prolific and trustworthy nationwide surveys of cell phones coverage, plans, customer service, data plans and other features. The rankings are based on aggregate of ratings, among other things.

1-Verizon Wireless

Verizon is the force to reckon within the U.S.  Both Top Ten Reviews and Consumer Reports have ranked it at the first place.

Reviewers at Top Ten Reviews wrote,

Verizon Wireless scores our “Top Ten REVIEWS Gold Award” for cell phone providers because it boasts extensive options for plans and features. Verizon Wireless operates one of the nation’s most reliable wireless networks, serving 45.5 million voice and data customers.

Similarly, Consumer Reports conducted a survey of cellphone services that revealed that Verizon has the best service across all regions in the U.S with an average approval rating of more than 70%. You can read the ratings here (but you’ll have to subscribe).

2-AT&T

The once all-encompassing telecom giant failed to make it to the first due to deteriorating service. This doesn’t mean that it has totally collapsed. The company is still strong enough with a huge customers’ base that it stood second under one survey but the second relegated it to the fourth place.

No one can deny that the company has a huge footprint all over the country. Service quality has definitely suffered a lot with frequent dropped calls and weak signals. That’s why Consumer Reports, that gauged the signal strength and connectivity, placed it at a lower position.

Top Ten Reviews survey, on the other hand, was focused on calling plans’ comparison. In this category Nation 450w/Rollover was favorably reviewed though ShopaService recommends that Nation 900 is a better option.

3-T-Mobile

Top Ten Reviews didn’t consider T-Mobile to be a great option when it comes to calling plans. Coverage and quality wise, it clinched the second position in the Consumer Reports Survey.

ShopaService doesn’t think that T-Mobile should be downgraded to a lower slot. As we have mentioned in our earlier ratings, including those of data plans, this company has carved a great niche for itself.

As for the calling plans, the “myFaves” plans are truly a catch for any user, whether individual, average or business one. Similarly, as mentioned above, the data plans are simply superb.

4-Sprint

Sprint has got the fourth place under Consumer Reports survey and rightly so. The company has to do a lot of work in not only expanding their network but to improve the quality.

Average consumer approval rating is around 60% under that survey. TopTenReviews, on the other hand, rated it at number three though they admitted the shortcomings,

Our “TopTenREVIEWS Bronze Award”, Sprint Nextel offers excellent service, though their area coverage is smaller than our #1- and #2-ranked service providers and they don’t offer quite as many minutes.

The company’s data plans are almost OK but again, there is an issue of coverage. You have to remain in major metropolitan areas to avail these services.