2006 J.D. Power Wireless Call Quality Performance Study

According to the J.D. Power and Associates 2006 Wireless Call Quality Performance StudySM released in September 2006, the percentage of wireless calls being made and received inside buildings, such as at home and work, now exceeds those made outside, impacting the overall rate of customers experiencing a wireless call quality problem, .

J.D. Power found that 51% of wireless call transactions are generated indoors, compared to 47% last year, and claimed that the increase in indoor calls affects the overall rate of customers experiencing a wireless call quality problem. It noted that 29% of all wireless calls are now placed indoors in homes, increasing from 27% in 2005, while wireless calls made in vehicles have decreased to 27% from 31% last year.

The study measures the number of problems experienced with wireless call quality on a semi-annual basis. Call quality is based on seven customer-reported problem areas that impact overall carrier performance. They are: dropped/disconnected calls; static/interference; connection on first try; voice distortion; echoes; timely voice mail notification; and timely text message notification.

Verizon Wireless ranks highest in three of the six U.S. regions included in the study. Alltel and T-Mobile rank highest in two regions, while U.S. Cellular ranks highest in one region.

2006 J.D. Power and Associates' Wireless Call Quality Award Recipients:

Regions* Carrier Ranking in Highest Satisfaction (2006 Award Recipients) Northeast Verizon Wireless Mid-Atlantic Verizon Wireless Southeast Alltel (tie) T-Mobile (tie) Verizon Wireless (tie) Southwest Alltel North Central U.S. Cellular West T-Mobile

source: J.D. Power and Associates

* Regions
• Northeast Region includes: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont.
• Mid-Atlantic Region includes: Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia.
• Southeast Region includes: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.
• North Central Region includes: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin.
• Southwest Region includes: Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas.
• West Region includes: Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, Utah, South Dakota, Washington and Wyoming.