Customer satisfaction with wireless carriers slipped 1.3% to a score of 74 (on a scale of 0 to 100), according to an American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) report. The wireless satisfaction report looked at mobile network operators (MNOs), value mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs), and full-service MVNOs.

Consumer Cellular proved to be the best of the value MVNOs and had the highest satisfaction of all providers in all three categories, with an 83 score, thanks largely to its wide variety of plans.

T-Mobile topped the MNO category with a score of 76. Customers said the company offers the best range of plans in the category. Verizon came in second at 74. Customers like Verizon’s overall quality but are not pleased with its value. AT&T came in third at 73, followed by U.S. Cellular and Sprint at 66.

It will be interesting to see what happens with T-Mobile’s satisfaction level in the future, now that the company has completed its merger with last-place Sprint.

MVNO Categories
In addition to Consumer Cellular, several other MVNOs had higher wireless satisfaction scores than the major MNOs.

Straight Talk Wireless (TracFone Wireless) placed second among value MVNOs despite falling from the previous report to 78. ACSI cited price as an issue for Straight Talk since customer perception of value is worse than the year before.

Comcast’s Xfinity Mobile topped the full-service MVNO category with a customer satisfaction score of 79, placing it above the category average, which fell slightly, to 75. Xfinity Mobile ranked second across all three wireless categories and scored the highest marks for the quality of its app.

Two full-service MVNOs lost ground compared to the year-ago survey. AT&T’s Cricket Wireless dropped to 76. Metro by T-Mobile, the largest U.S. prepaid brand, fell to the bottom of the category at 74, tied with Sprint’s prepaid brand Boost Mobile.

“The advent of the nation’s first 5G networks will bring about monumental change for consumers, but not just yet,” said David VanAmburg, ACSI managing director, in a prepared statement. “Coverage is sporadic, but as the technology matures, new service providers will enter the game and smartphone manufacturers will compete to offer the best, newest and shiniest 5G enabled device.”