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Friday Poll: What would it take to get you to switch mobile carriers?

Cell phone carriers are working hard to poach each other's customers, with rollover deals and tempting family plans. What would it take for you to switch your loyalty?

Amanda Kooser
Freelance writer Amanda C. Kooser covers gadgets and tech news with a twist for CNET. When not wallowing in weird gear and iPad apps for cats, she can be found tinkering with her 1956 DeSoto.
Amanda Kooser
2 min read

Moto G with Verizon site
I'm currently tied at the hip to Page Plus, a Verizon reseller. Amanda Kooser/CNET

Switching mobile carriers can be a bit of a hassle, especially if you're dealing with a new phone and trying to sort your way through a confusing new plan at the same time. It takes a pretty big carrot to tempt customers over to a different carrier, but it can be done. The latest salvo involves T-Mobile and AT&T offering data rollover plans that let unused data carry over to the next month.

A survey conducted by Consumer Intelligence Research Partners looked at why people switch carriers. Interestingly enough, there's not a lot of movement among the carriers. The report found four out of five subscribers stuck with their carrier when upgrading to a new phone. AT&T and Verizon manage to have the most-loyal customers, according to the survey, but subscribers think the plans are too expensive.

The CIRP survey found that when customers do switch, they usually cite issues such as cost or network quality as the reason for the change. T-Mobile, hot on the heels of its burgeoning "Uncarrier" marketing buzz and rollover data plan introduction, announced it had grown its subscriber base to more than 55 million. This should put a scare into Sprint, which is currently clinging to its spot as the third-largest wireless provider. It also goes to show there are some customers moving about.

I've only ever been with two mobile carriers in my entire life. The first was Verizon. The second and current one is Page Plus, which is actually a reseller of the Verizon network, so it's kind of like I never really left. Yes, I'm sacrificing perks like local stores, cutting-edge smartphones and discounted hardware upgrades, but that sweet low price around $30 per month keeps me hanging on. However, I do occasionally browse the offerings of the big-four carriers and drool over the latest smartphones. I just haven't been convinced to jump ship yet.

What would it take to get you to change carriers? Vote in our poll and talk it out in the comments.