Verizon Ranked Overall Best ISP for Customer Service for Second Straight Year
Sixty-nine percent of Verizon customers were extremely or very satisfied overall with their internet service.
February 17, 2022
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Internet speed was one of the few topics to disrupt the standings. Xfinity and Verizon tied for first at 69%, while Spectrum just barely overtook AT&T for third place.
“With DSL, your home’s maximum download speed depends on what the ISP supports locally and it’ll often be less than 100 Mbps,” according to CableTV.com. “Frontier and CenturyLink are similar ISPs with growing fiber support and legacy DSL networks.”
Internet speed can slow down if there’s a lot of network traffic in the surrounding area. Top ISPs like Xfinity, Verizon and Spectrum manage their network traffic to guarantee that download speeds remain consistently high.
Many ISPs offer rentable modems or combo modem/wireless routers along with internet service. The best rentable wireless gateways offer value beyond simply being a router or modem. According to CableTV.com, “Cox’s Panoramic Wifi Gateway is a slick white box that’ll discreetly fit in on a bookshelf or counter, while the Xfinity xFi Gateway integrates with other Xfinity services and hardware.”
Typically, internet setup is a straight-forward process. CableTV.com recognized providers such as Xfinity and Spectrum for their in-depth tutorials and videos that’ll walk customers through the entire process.
However, some circumstances require a technician to install hardware to turn on service. The rankings’ top ISPs simplify this process with easy appointment scheduling and support options.
Customer support is a critical element to overall customer satisfaction for ISPs. Again, Verizon placed first as 65% of those surveyed were completely or very satisfied with its support department. AT&T and Spectrum came in at 62% and 59% respectively.
However, although Xfinity’s fourth-place finish came by a narrow 1%, it had the second-highest dissatisfied customer mark among the top ISPs. That said, 32% of respondents said they were hardly or not at all satisfied with Suddenlink, putting it at the bottom of the customer support dissatisfaction rating.
How much did customers pay for internet? Did they feel they were getting a deal on their monthly subscriptions? These were the questions CableTV.com asked of survey respondents.
Although Verizon and AT&T maintained their position on the top of the rankings, CenturyLink narrowly sneaked into the top three for the first time, tying with Spectrum.
However, understanding why they did means analyzing each provider’s fine print.
“CenturyLink streamlined its internet offerings: You’ll get one DSL plan or two fiber internet plans and won’t have to deal with data caps, annual price increase or contracts. Although Spectrum’s internet plans typically have a second-year price increase (you’ll get a cheaper promotional price for your first year), it still offers most of the same benefits as CenturyLink,” according to the survey.
In contrast, Xfinity’s plans come with data caps, price increases and contracts. When given the option, customers always prefer an internet plan — as with AT&T and Verizon — that carries fast speeds and a price that stays constant, the report said.
When it came to quality of service versus price, CenturyLink, Cox and Xfinity all tied for fourth place in the survey, while Spectrum barely took third place over the three competitors by a narrow 1%.
A key takeaway was that a typical customer prefers paying $50 for a 300 Mbps fiber internet connection that rarely fails versus a 50 Mbps DSL connection that regularly goes out. Satisfaction generally aligned with their type of internet service.
Competition has leveled out internet prices. Typically, a customer should pay between $20 and $40 for a basic 50-200 Mbps internet plan, between $40 and $60 for a 200-600 Mbps mid-tier plan, and more than $60 for a 600-940 Mbps high-end plan, according to CableTV.com.
These price brackets appeared in the polling. Verizon and AT&T maintained their leading positions thanks to competitive pricing and no scheduled price increases. Spectrum, Cox and other providers had internet prices that were higher than the competition.
Competition has leveled out internet prices. Typically, a customer should pay between $20 and $40 for a basic 50-200 Mbps internet plan, between $40 and $60 for a 200-600 Mbps mid-tier plan, and more than $60 for a 600-940 Mbps high-end plan, according to CableTV.com.
These price brackets appeared in the polling. Verizon and AT&T maintained their leading positions thanks to competitive pricing and no scheduled price increases. Spectrum, Cox and other providers had internet prices that were higher than the competition.
Verizon customer service ranked first in the annual ISP list by CableTV.com. And it wasn’t the only category the telecom giant topped.
CableTV.com conducted its annual internet customer satisfaction survey. The organization asked more than 5,000 Americans about how satisfied they are with the speed, price and reliability of their internet connections this year.
It found Verizon held onto its top spot as the best ISP in overall customer satisfaction for another year. More than two in three (69%) Verizon customers were extremely or very satisfied with their internet service. AT&T barely overtook Xfinity (Comcast) at 64% and 62%, respectively. Customers also reported that Verizon’s “excellent” fiber network and no-contract service helped it maintain its top position. Verizon Fios also earned the CableTV.com Editor’s Choice award in its fiber internet provider rankings.
To learn where providers such as Spectrum, Cox and CenturyLink landed compared to Verizon customer service in the rankings, check out the slideshow above.
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