Wireless Bills Continue to Rise: Study

During the past three-years, the average monthly wireless bill has increased $11 to reach $66 this year, up from $55 in 2004 J.D Power and Associates reports. The firm attributes the increase to new data and text messaging services and new government imposed fees, and expects the trend to continue.

"It will be important for wireless carriers to continue to roll out new services and products to increase customer revenue as industry penetration slows and customer retention becomes more critical," said Kirk Parsons, senior director of wireless services at J.D. Power and Associates. "However, customer expectations will continue to rise, as cell phone users increasingly rely on the communication functions of their cell phones beyond voice calling."

The study also finds that customer satisfaction can impact the actual usage levels of new products and services, particularly for services that charge a fee.

For example, the level of regular usage for sending/receiving text messaging among those with above-average satisfaction is 27 percent. This compares to only 21 percent among those who are dissatisfied with their overall wireless service.

"It's clear that customer satisfaction has a direct correlation with an increase in new product usage and therefore plays a critical role in future revenue potential for the wireless carriers," said Parsons.

Of the all American carriers, T-Mobile ranked highest in customer care, with Verizon ranking the highest in terms of call quality.