Once again, the magazine has found that, when it comes to the national wireless carriers, consumers are most satisfied with Verizon and least so with AT&T.

Potentially more interesting was that the annual survey found that three smaller carriers — U.S. Cellular, Credo and Consumer Cellular — all scored higher than any of the Big 4 wireless providers. Several prepaid brands, including TracFone and Straight Talk, also scored higher than the big brands.

“Our survey indicates that subscribers to prepaid and smaller standard-service providers are happiest overall with their cell-phone service,” Consumer Reports electronics editor Paul Reynolds said in a blog posting. “However, these carriers aren’t for everyone. Some are only regional, and prepaid carriers tend to offer few or no smart phones.The major carriers are still leading options for many consumers, and we found they ranged widely in how well they satisfied their customers.”

Also notable was the fact that the national carriers achieved higher scores for their prepaid service than they did among their traditional contract-based customers.

The magazine also called out new “value” pricing plans from T-Mobile which allow even contract customers to get their phones unsubsidized in exchange for a lower fee. Though the plans are a bit hard to wrap one’s head around, they can be money savers over time.

Update: AT&T said it will use the survey as a learning opportunity, but stressed the investments the company has been making.

“While we’ll of course evaluate and learn from the Consumer Reports survey, we made significant progress in our network in 2011 including a 25 percent improvement 3G dropped call performance, 48,000 network improvements (more capacity, new cell sites, faster data speeds, and better connections), and many billions of dollars in capital investment to continue to improve our network,” the company said in a statement to AllThingsD. AT&T also contends that its service would benefit further if it were allowed to buy T-Mobile, a deal that has been opposed by U.S. regulators.

Even if they don’t offer wireless service in the U.S., it has become fashionable for overseas carriers to establish a beachhead in Silicon Valley.

It makes sense, given that many of the hottest wireless apps and services are being developed here, not to mention the fact that the region is home to both Apple and Google. The latest to hop on the trend is Vodafone, which on Thursday is opening a research and development facility in Redwood City.

“It’s a corporate objective to accelerate innovation of products,” center director Fay Arjomandi said in an interview on Thursday.

The goal is that once Vodafone has decided to work with a partner, that company’s service will be running in user trials in a Vodafone market within nine months.

The facility offers office space to partners, as well as a sample Vodafone network to allow them to develop and test their products. Companies can stay for several months or just a day or two, Arjomandi said.

“We’re here in Silicon Valley to identify the best and brightest,” said Rick Rasmussen, who heads operations and logistics for the new facility.

Vodafone, which is a part owner of Verizon Wireless, is also partnered with that company on the new center. Its facility will also have a Verizon test network; Verizon’s facilities in Waltham, Mass., and a just-opened one in San Francisco, also offer Vodafone test networks.

Unlike other European carriers with a U.S. presence, though, Vodafone has no interest in offering products here, Arjomandi said. France Telecom’s Orange, for example, doesn’t offer wireless service in the U.S., but has launched some products, such as its ON Voicemail service.

BART authorities said they shut down parts of a wireless phone network in four of the system’s stations as part of a tactic to slow down the efforts of protesters, and that they did it because protesters had said they would use mobile devices to “coordinate their disruptive activities.” Such a disruption, BART officials argued, could lead to overcrowding on train platforms and cause “unsafe conditions,” fears of which justified the move.

The National Journal reports the FCC is looking into the shutdown of wireless service, but as yet is only “collecting information” about the actions that were taken. “Any time communications services are interrupted, we seek to assess the situation,” FCC spokesman Neil Grace said.

The protests were in response to the fatal shooting by BART police on July 3 of a man who allegedly pulled a knife on the officers. BART officials say they’re on solid legal ground. Meanwhile, another protest is planned for tonight.

The University of Virginia removed about 3,850 telephones from residence halls over the summer, the school said this week. The school’s housing department will save $500,000 a year by not providing telephone service, officials said, adding that AT&T (T), T-Mobile and Verizon (VZ) had funded improvements in coverage on campus.

“Students may still request a land-line telephone, but I don’t anticipate that a lot will,” said chief housing officer Mark Doherty in a statement. “Over the past several years, land-line use has decreased a lot.”

Read the rest of this post on the original site

“Given our high smartphone numbers, double our closest peer, in both markets, we have large population centers, very sophisticated users with high expectations, and very high volumes,” John Stankey, president and CEO, AT&T Operations said during the call.

“For example, in the dense areas of New York City, there are periods during the week when nearly 70% of the devices active on the network are data-intensive handsets. So, raising performance levels in these two markets is the organization’s top priority. We’re putting all the resources available against the issue and we’re closing the gap.”

Okay, great. What does that mean? Between $18 billion and $19 billion in 2010 capital expenditures–approximately $2 billion of it for additional wireless network and back-haul investment, for one thing. For another, 2,000 new cell sites. Finally, the company is upgrading existing cell sites with fiber for better 3G speeds.

Now, a few more NYC-SF specifics from Stankey:

We’re adding third and fourth radio network carriers to maximize capacity on available spectrum. In Manhattan specifically, now that we have scalable cell site controllers in place throughout most of the island, we’re intensely focused on putting more radio capacity on the street. We’ll increase the amount of 3G spectrum and radio capacity by one-third in high volume areas of the island by the end of the first quarter.

While we are through the majority of our zoning challenges in the Bay area, we’ll continue to work the remaining issues we have in parts of the Financial District and a handful of other locations to final resolution. We’re adding cell towers; and over the coming months, we’re building and upgrading high-capacity antenna systems to boost performance in high-traffic areas like stadiums, convention centers, and public transportation routes.

So will be see significant improvement in both markets in the coming months? Perhaps. Certainly, AT&T is suggesting we can expect one. And, as Stankey noted this morning, “Today a dollar in wireless investment yields twice the capacity than it did a year ago.” Let’s hope so–especially in markets like New York and San Francisco.

PREVIOUSLY:

• Apple COO: Leave AT&T Alone
• If You Think AT&T Has Network Problems Now, Just You Wait
• AT&T 3G Improving–If You Can Get a Signal
• Admitting You Have a Problem Is the First Step, AT&T
• Usage-Based Data Pricing: The Solution to AT&T’s iPhone Problems?
• AT&T Ranked Last in Consumer Reports’ Best Cellphone Service Survey
• Apple Joins AT&T/Verizon Spat With New iPhone Ads
• AT&T Awarded Hug and a Box of Tissues in Verizon Ad Case
• Time to Cut AT&T Some Slack, iPhone Users?
• Thanks, iPhone: 2,000 Percent Increase in Bay Area Data Traffic Since 2008, Says AT&T
• Verizon to AT&T: Do Yourself a Favor and Shut Up
• Frosty’s Winter Litigation Wonderland: AT&T Demands Verizon Pull Holiday iPhone Ads
• Verizon Banishes iPhone to Island of Misfit Toys
• Verizon on AT&T Suit: There’s a Word for That. “Junk
• Verizon to iPhone Users: “Want Five Times More 3G Coverage? There’s a Map for That.”
• iPhone Owners Would Like to Replace Battery, AT&T

Still, it sounds promising. With downlink speeds in the 2-4Mbps range, Xohm is about twice as fast as current cellular broadband networks. Sprint’s service plans include a $25 monthly home subscription, a $30 “on-the-go” plan and a $10 day-pass program. All three require a PC card or modem and a subscriber agreement permitting Xohm to “use various tools and techniques designed to limit the bandwidth available for certain bandwidth-intensive applications or protocols, such as file sharing.”

So much for that “open network” promise. Well, at least Xohm is up and running, right? Sprint Nextel (S) first announced plans to deploy a nationwide WiMax network in August 2006.

Pricing will be the same as it is through Apple and AT&T (T) stores: $199 for the 8GB model and $299 for 16GB, with a two-year AT&T service contract. Best Buy stores already sell iPods and Macs.

Meanwhile, Radio Shack (RSH) shares are sliding today. The retail chain already sells AT&T wireless service, but for now at least, isn’t going to be selling iPhones. Also hurting Radio Shack: news that the company has sold $325 million of 2.5 percent convertible senior notes due 2013.

Read the rest of this post