J.D. Power Reports: Customer Satisfaction Is High among Internet Customers Who Upgrade to Premium Speed Offerings To Boost Performance

Verizon Ranks Highest in Customer Satisfaction in the East, West and South Regions, while WOW! (Wide Open West) Ranks Highest in the North Central Region

News provided by

J.D. Power

Sep 26, 2013, 09:00 ET

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif., Sept. 26, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- When customers upgrade their basic Internet service as their need for bandwidth increases, levels of both overall satisfaction and customer loyalty increase, according to the J.D. Power 2013 U.S. Residential Internet Service Provider Satisfaction Study^SM released today.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130605/LA26502LOGO)

KEY FINDINGS

Overall customer satisfaction among Internet service customers is 683 on a 1,000-point scale.
Customer satisfaction increases to 712 among customers who upgrade to premium speed package—41 points higher than among those who have not upgraded their Internet service (671).
More than one-third (38%) of customers indicate upgrading to premium speed service packages.
Performance and reliability is by far the most critical factor in driving overall satisfaction and meeting customer expectations.
Customers who upgraded to premium speed packages make nearly twice as many positive recommendations to friends/family of their provider during the past year (23% vs. 14%).
The average monthly bill for premium speed packages is $48, compared with $43 for basic Internet.

"As streaming video grows in popularity, supporting customer demand for bandwidth and download speeds presents many challenges for the industry," said Kirk Parsons, senior director of telecommunications at J.D. Power. "Meeting these challenges increases customer satisfaction. Providing value-based bandwidth and download speed offerings are key for industry growth."

Rankings
Overall Customer Satisfaction Index Scores		J.D. Power.com Power Circle Ratings
(Based on a 1,000-point scale)		For Consumers

East Region

Verizon	722	5
Optimum Online (Cablevision)	688	3
East Region Average	686	3
AT&T	684	3
Cox Communications	682	3
XFINITY (Comcast)	678	3
Time Warner Cable	648	2
Frontier Communications	645	2

West Region

Verizon	714	5
AT&T	689	4
Cox Communications	687	4
West Region Average	674	3
XFINITY (Comcast)	672	3
CenturyLink	664	3
Time Warner Cable	661	3
Charter Communications	648	2
Mediacom Communications	600	2

South Region

Verizon	724	5
AT&T	711	4
Bright House Networks	708	4
Suddenlink	696	3
South Region Average	690	3
Cox Communications	689	3
XFINITY (Comcast)	674	2
Charter Communications	669	2
Time Warner Cable	666	2
Windstream	661	2
CenturyLink	659	2

North Central Region

WOW! (Wide Open West)	709	5
AT&T	700	4
XFINITY (Comcast)	676	3
North Central Region Average	675	3
Cincinnati Bell	662	3
Charter Communications	659	2
Time Warner Cable	658	2
CenturyLink	637	2
Frontier Communications	633	2

Power Circle Ratings Legend

5 – Among the best

4 – Better than most

3 – About average

2 – The rest

The 2013 U.S. Residential Internet Service Provider Satisfaction Study is based on responses from 25,749 customers nationwide who evaluated their high-speed Internet service provider. The study was fielded in four waves: November 2012, January 2013, April 2013 and July 2013. Now in its 16th year, the study measures customer satisfaction with high-speed Internet service based on five factors: performance and reliability; cost of service; billing; communication; and customer service.

Media Relations Contacts
John Tews; Troy, Mich.; 248-680-6218; [email protected]
Syvetril Perryman; Westlake Village, Calif.; 805-418-8103; [email protected]
About J.D. Power and Advertising/Promotional Rules www.jdpower.com/corporate
About McGraw Hill Financial www.mhfi.com