CNN has an interesting article (link at the bottom) today defending AT&T's network. It makes the same compelling point I have been making for some time: If the network is that bad, shouldn't people be leaving? "Churn" (the industry term for customers leaving the service) is very low at AT&T, pretty much a match for Verizon' supposedly better service and much better than Sprint or T-Mobile. So why all the noise? The article points out that dissatisfied customers tend to be in NYC and SF, both media and tech capitals in the US. So they are just more vocal, and have the soapbox to go with it, about their dissatisfaction.
A few counter and supporting points:
1. One reason churn may not be very high is contracts. AT&T boasts that a large number of subscribers are on contracts and Family Plans, both of which increase switching costs.
2. Another reason churn may be low: iPhone. AT&T is still the only guy that has it.
3. San Francisco is notoriously hard to install new cell towers in, but why isn't that fact affecting coverage for Verizon, T-Mo and Sprint? Is it because they don't have iPhone or other smartphones? AT&T does have the largest number of smartphone users, as a percentage of their total base, among the Big 4.
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