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Speed, coverage, or price - what do you look for most when choosing a carrier? (results)

By Daniel Petrov

Published: Jul 27, 2017, 9:37 AM

We asked you last week what is the most important feature for you in a carrier network - speed, coverage and reliability, or pricing - and the preferred extra was overwhelmingly the breadth and strength of coverage. We deliberately excluded the "all of the above" option, so pricing turned out to be the second most important argument for choosing this and that network, while less than 10% of our respondents cited top speed as top preference when shopping around for a carrier.

Until recently, it seemed that you can't have your cake, and eat it too, as a vast and speedy network requires significant capital outlays that have to be recouped with higher prices. Now that the bulk of 4G LTE investment has been done by carriers, and all eyes are on the "5G" upgrades, the unlimited data or prepaid plan pricing has started to even out to some extent, especially for family offers. According to a survey by research shop Jefferies, the number one priority for carrier subs is network performance and reliability (46%), followed by monthly costs (30%), while unlimited data plan was cited as most important by only 8% of those surveyed, and those were skewed heavily towards the Sprint camp.

Speed, coverage, or price - what do you look for most when choosing a carrier?

Speed

9.22%

Coverage/reliability

62.47%

Price

28.31%

770 Votes

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Daniel, a devoted tech writer at PhoneArena from 2010 to 2025, has been engrossed in mobile technology since the Windows Mobile era. His expertise spans mobile hardware, software, and carrier networks, and he's keenly interested in the future of digital health, car connectivity, and 5G. Beyond his professional pursuits, Daniel finds balance in travel, reading, and exploring new tech innovations, while contemplating the ethical and privacy implications of our digital future.