A new report by JD Power and Associates found that users on unlimited data connections report fewer network issues than users on connections with usage caps or overage fees. According to the report, customers with unlimited data plans experience "a lower incidence of overall network problems, data problems, messaging problems, and calling problems than those with data allowances." The data comes from a survey of 35,105 wireless subscribers in six geographic regions across the United States.
More specifically, the report found that users on unlimited plans report 11 overall network quality problems per 100 (PP100) connections, versus an average of 13 PP100 among customers with data allowances.
The report also found unlimited data users also have lower incidences of data problems (15 PP100 versus 16PP100, respectively); messaging problems (5 PP100 vs. 6 PP100); and calling problems (12 PP100 vs. 15 PP100). 18% of unlimited data users also say speeds are “faster than expected” vs. 13% among those with data allowances and 70% say speeds are “as expected” vs. 75% among those with data allowances.
“Whether a customer has unlimited data or a data allowance on their wireless plan should not really affect their overall network quality, but our data shows that -- consistently -- wireless customers who are not worried about data overages have a much more positive perception of their network’s quality,” JD Power's Peter Cunningham says of the company's findings.
“This is a critical insight into wireless customer psychology for carriers who’ve been engaged in battle over unlimited data plans for the past several months.”
Note that the study measures overall customer "perception" of their network experience, so Cunningham is right in that much of this could be driven by the fact that these users are simply more satisfied with the value proposition of unlimited data. That said, we've noted for years how ISP bandwidth meters (fixed or wireless) are notoriously unreliable, and no regulators review the quality of ISP metering. Since studies repeatedly show most users have no idea what a gigabyte even is, caps and overage fees also add a deep layer of confusion and fear to the consumer experience.