Cell Phone Users Increasingly Satisfied With Their ServiceCell Phone Users Increasingly Satisfied With Their Service

U.S. cell phone users are enjoying improved service, but they're worried about the high cost of the service, according to a Consumer Reports survey of more than 50,000 cell phone users.

As in most other recent surveys, Verizon Wireless came out as the top carrier for most people, although T-Mobile also finished near the top of the survey. Verizon "is a standout carrier for most people," Consumer Reports said. "The company received high marks in overall satisfaction and customer service and service is available in most of the country."

In all, 60% of users surveyed by Consumer Reports said they were "completely or very satisfied with their service." The publication's readers complained less than in past surveys about connectivity problems such as static and dropped calls. Consumers also didn't generally grumble about the traditional big complaint of cell phone users -- the automatic extending of contracts when consumers change service plans.

But consumers have a new complaint, or at least 14% in the survey did: Cell phone service is getting too expensive. Consumer Reports even found a partial solution to rising cell phone service prices: get prepaid cellular service.

"Prepaid cellular, now used by 15% of cell customers, is no longer just for those with poor credit," the publication said. "The flexibility of prepaid plans is especially appealing in tough economic times because it allows consumers to easily cut back on monthly use and expense."

To save money, Consumer Reports recommended that users review their plan minutes and move to prepaid cellular plans if they find they can save money. Another possible way to save can involve bundling multimedia messages rather than paying for each text message individually. The magazine also suggested that cell phone insurance for lost or damaged phones can be a waste of money, because it's likely to be cheaper to buy an inexpensive phone.

The results of the survey, carried out by the Consumer Reports National Research Center, appear in the January issue of Consumer Reports.