Orange has the worst network, claim unhappy iPhone customers

Perhaps detracted by the issues of merging with T-Mobile UK, Orange UK has been judged the worst service provider in terms of customer satisfaction for iPhone users.

According to a recent YouGov survey, iPhone subscribers want to leave Orange because of problems with network coverage, connection issues and customer service problems. Of the Orange users who wanted to churn to another operator, six out of ten believed they could receive better network coverage elsewhere.

While this is bad news for Orange, and T-Mobile was also rated poorly, the merger of the two firms' networks might provide some hope that the coverage and connection problems will quickly start to disappear. Subscribers should be able to switch automatically between the two networks starting early next year.

However, the impression of iPhone users today remains poor. Nearly half (46 per cent) said they were certain they could find a better connection from a different operator, while nearly 40 per cent maintained another operator would be able to provide a more reliable service. While these viewpoints could be subjective, a third of the dissatisfied iPhone customers said Orange was too expensive--albeit that tariffs published by other networks are only slightly cheaper.

If these unhappy users stop complaining and take action, then the likely beneficiaries are 3UK and Vodafone. 3UK was rated--albeit by a smaller user base--as being the most satisfied with their iPhones, while over 20 per cent of Orange iPhone subscribers looking to churn would select Vodafone as their new operator.

For more on this story:
- read Cnet

Related stories:
Orange gains €200m revenues from customer care services
We're ready for iPhone data surge, claim Vodafone and Orange
High iPhone sales are a problem, says FT CEO
Orange races to sign iPad deal; but users not lured by apps