• September 7, 2007

J.D. Power & Associates says the number of reported wireless call quality problems has declined for a third consecutive reporting period, reaching the lowest levels in the history of its "Wireless Call Quality Performance Study," the 2007 version of which was released Thursday.

The bi-annual study, in its fifth year, which measures wireless call quality based on seven customer-reported problem areas, gave Verizon Wireless highest ranking in four of the six U.S. regions. U.S. Cellular also ranks highest in the North Central region, while AT&T ranks highest for the first time in the Southwest area.

Verizon Wireless took top honors in the Northeast, Mid Atlantic, and Western regions and tied with Alltel in the Southeast.

--Karl Greenberg