Monday, October 4, 2010

US Cellular at the Top

A few months ago, we moved US Cellular to the top of our Wireless Carrier Ratings. It wasn't that they did something outstanding at the time, it was more about the slight slip of Alltel from the top position and that US Cellular has a few, unique, customer-friendly policies.

Last week, US Cellular expanded those policies with the customer-unfriendly name, "The Belief Project." The most notable aspect of this "project" is the elimination of the need to renew your 2-year contract after the initial contract period. While US Cellular is the 6th largest carrier in the US, these features may not have the impact that they might have with a larger carrier. We do see it encouraging US Cellular customers to stick around, which looks like their biggest problem. While US Cellular operates an excellent network, they can't seem to generate the excitement of the larger or newer networks.

"The Belief Project" features are definitely a step in the right direction, but it's hard for consumers to wrap their heads around such an undefined idea. Maybe aim for, "No more 2-year contracts", or "Free phones for life". Simple concepts are easier to grasp in our soundbite world. Our soundbite says US Cellular is our #1-rated network. We hope consumers give their 3G network a fair review before they decide to move with the herd to the largest carriers.

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