Consumer Reports’ subscribers give Cingular, Sprint Nextel coal for the holidays

YONKERS, N.Y.—Crappy New Year to all. Or, at least, some. Consumer Reports has taken a look at mobile carriers and handsets in the United States in its January 2007 issue and, apart from a few companies that may do cartwheels after receiving the magazine’s praise, many in the industry may not like the findings. Specifically, Cingular Wireless L.L.C. and Sprint Nextel Corp. are singled out as “poor performers.”In general, Consumer Reports subscribers give wireless carriers overall a score of 66 out of 100, which is on par with “other perennial low-scorers” such as cable TV and computer tech support. Fifty-four percent of readers who switched carriers in the past three years attributed their decision to poor service, while 33 percent sought a better price.

Mobiledude says: Oh boy---but do customers really know that wireless coverage is pretty much the same?