CR Survey of 48,000 cellular users

-Verizon was #1 in 17 out of 20 markets surveyed (in 2 of those 17 they 
were tied with T-Mobile)

-Alltel was #1 in 3 markets (Tampa, Cleveland, and Seattle)

-Sprint was last in 19 out of 20 markets (AT&T was last in 
Minneapolis-Saint Paul, and Sprint was 2nd to last).

I really thought that the declining number of AMPS handsets would hurt 
Verizon's ratings, but apparently that was not the case. Even with most 
users having digital-only phones, Verizon is still far better than AT&T, 
Sprint, or T-Mobile.

I wonder how long Sprint can continue in business as an independent 
company. They have the worst coverage, a poor selection of handsets, and 
their Wi-Max plan has gone nowhere. Some say Verizon should acquire 
them, but I don't think that Verizon wants or needs them.