Why You Can Trust CNET New J.D. Power Survey on Internet Providers Reveals Some Clear Winners (and a Few Also-Rans)
Fixed wireless service, like T-Mobile Home Internet, continues to surge, but broadband from AT&T, Google Fiber and Verizon Fios still gains high marks.
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Most of us are still unhappy with our internet service providers. The American Customer Satisfaction Index puts ISPs near the bottom of all industries, even below airlines, the US Postal Service and social media. But the latest J.D. Power survey results show one broadband area that's gaining traction with consumers: fixed wireless internet.
The J.D. Power 2024 ISP satisfaction study found that wireless internet customers were happier with their service than wired and satellite internet consumers. That aligns with the June ACSI results, which showed fixed wireless internet scores almost on par with fiber internet in some regions.
Based on responses from nearly 30,000 customers from November 2023 through August of this year, the J.D. Power study tracks overall ISP satisfaction on a 1,000-point scale. Fixed wireless internet subscribers gave their service a 630 score, while wired internet services notched a 538.
Locating local internet providers
Carl Lepper, senior director of the technology, media and telecommunications intelligence practice at J.D. Power, told my CNET colleague Joe Supan this summer, "A lot of the concerns I had heard about fixed wireless access were that it's just never going to be as fast as fiber. But for a lot of people, affordability trumps that."
Overall, there were seven factors considered in the scoring. They include:
Locating local internet providers
- Consistently delivering high-quality service
- Digital tools
- Ease of doing business
- Level of trust with provider
- People
- Resolving problems or complaints
- Value for price paid
The study divides the US into four regions: East, North Central, South and West. For the 12th consecutive year, Verizon took the top spot in the East, earning a score of 575. AT&T nabbed first place in the North Central and West regions with 537 and 546 scores, respectively. However, for the second year in a row, Google Fiber was the ISP with the highest score in the survey, earning 702 points in the South region.
Google Fiber took the top spot in the South region and claimed the best overall score of any provider in J.D. Power's 2024 ISP survey.
CNET is not surprised by Google Fiber's strong showing. It has the second-highest score among all CNET ISP reviews. But we're also not shocked by US customers' seeming affinity for fixed wireless internet. The J.D. Power survey mentions that affordability plays a big role as well. 70% of wireless internet customers felt their plan was affordable, whereas only half of wired internet customers said the same.
This year's J.D. Power survey pulled out those fixed wireless provider scores, and T-Mobile Home Internet, the fourth of CNET's top-rated broadband providers, was at the top of the chart with 649 out of 1,000. That was the second-highest score of the entire report, falling short only to Google Fiber. While fiber internet might be the faster, more reliable technology, people seem to resonate with the simplicity and availability of T-Mobile Home Internet and other fixed wireless services.
As Carl Lepper said in a press release: "Wireless internet is a more accessible option that has become more widely available, less expensive and delivers more satisfaction across all parts of the customer experience we measure."
That certainly bodes well for the future success of fixed wireless services like T-Mobile Home Internet, Verizon 5G Home Internet and AT&T Internet Air. Stay tuned to CNET for the latest developments in fiber internet technology and 5G home internet.