Focus on Fundamentals Boosts Satisfaction Across Telecommunications and Cell Phone Industries, as Wireless Service Providers Hit All-Time High, ACSI Data Shows

ANN ARBOR, Mich.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Things are looking up for the telecommunications and cell phone industries.

According to the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI®) Telecommunications, Cell Phone, and Smartwatch Study 2026, customer satisfaction with the internet service provider (ISP) industry increases 1% to a score of 73 (on a scale of 0-100), with both fiber and non‑fiber segments improving at the same rate. Fiber ISP satisfaction rises from 75 to 76, while non‑fiber ISP satisfaction inches up from 70 to 71.

Satisfaction with wireless service providers advances 3% to a record-high ACSI score of 77. This improvement is industrywide, including a 4% satisfaction increase — to 77 — for the full-service mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) segment and 1% gains for both mobile network operators (MNOs) — to 76 — and value MVNOs (79). Nearly all customer experience ratings are higher this year across the three measured segments.

Cell phone satisfaction also rises in 2026, up 1% to 79, after experiencing a sharp decrease last year. The highest-rated customer experience metrics are primarily basic functionalities such as phone calling and text messaging. AI feature performance, measured by the ACSI for the first time, debuts near the top with a score of 85 alongside the table-stakes benchmarks. Additionally, satisfaction with flagship models (82) far outpaces legacy phones (76) and foldables (72).

In its second year of measurement, smartwatch satisfaction holds steady with a score of 77. On a positive note, every customer experience benchmark sees progress at the industry level. Service metrics for repairs, in particular, all advance substantially this year.

“What we’re seeing this year is the payoff from providers getting the basics right,” said Forrest Morgeson, Associate Professor of Marketing at Michigan State University and Director of Research Emeritus at the ACSI. “Network performance is improving, outages are less frequent, and core functions like calling and texting are generally reliable. But as the baseline rises across internet, wireless, and devices, ‘good enough’ keeps getting redefined. With new competitors and technologies entering the market, providers can’t coast on fundamentals alone. They need to build on that foundation with meaningful innovation and better value.”

Other key takeaways from the study include:

Internet Service Providers

• For the second year in a row, the top-ranked fiber and non-fiber providers earn the same ACSI score as Verizon 5G Home Internet surges 3% to meet AT&T Fiber (up 1%) at 79.
• Among fiber ISPs, Brightspeed Fiber makes substantial gains, surging 8% to 78. Xfinity Fiber (up 3%) and Optimum Fiber (up 4%) also show strong improvement, climbing to 77 and 74, respectively. For non-fiber ISPs, Cox climbs 6% to 72, while CenturyLink improves 8% to 67.
• For the first time, the ACSI is reporting regional rankings among non‑fiber internet providers:
  • In the Northeast, overall satisfaction among non‑fiber providers improves 4% from 68 to 71. T-Mobile 5G Home Internet (up 1%) maintains a narrow lead at 79, while Verizon 5G Home Internet strengthens its position with a 4% increase to 77.
  • Satisfaction in the Midwest holds steady at 71, indicating a more mature and stable competitive landscape. Verizon 5G Home Internet edges up 1% to lead at 79.
  • The South posts a modest 1% overall improvement, with regional satisfaction increasing from 71 to 72. Verizon 5G Home Internet (up 3% to 80) and T-Mobile 5G Home (up 1% to 79) lead the way.
  • The West shows the strongest year‑over‑year improvement among non‑fiber providers, with average satisfaction rising 6% from 68 to 72. T-Mobile 5G Home Internet increases 3% to lead the region at 80, and Verizon 5G Home Internet makes a notable 5% gain to 79.

Wireless Phone Service

• MNOs post smaller gains than the overall industry, improving 1% to 76, with scores for all national brands clustered tightly, ranging from 76 (Verizon and AT&T) to 78 (T-Mobile).
• While network fundamentals improve this year, there is little differentiation among the MNOs, reinforcing that strong call quality and network capabilities are increasingly viewed as core expectations for the industry.
• Customer experience factors tied to ease, reliability, and digital interactions strengthen, helping support overall satisfaction gains.

Cell Phones

• Samsung (unchanged) takes the top industry spot with an ACSI score of 81, narrowly ahead of Apple (down 1% to 80); Google and Motorola, up 3% each, tie at 77.

Smartwatches

• A drop in satisfaction among Samsung (down 4%) watch owners results in a tie with Apple (unchanged) at the top of the leaderboard at 80. Google Fitbit (up 8% to 78) is next, followed by newcomers Garmin (76) and Google Pixel (74).
• The individual customer experience touchpoints reveal universal improvement, from design and durability to connectivity and app integrations.
• Strong improvement in the service experience for smartwatches narrows the gap considerably to the cell phone service experience.

The ACSI Telecommunications, Cell Phone, and Smartwatch Study 2026 is based on 26,963 completed surveys. Customers were chosen at random and contacted via email between April 2025 and March 2026. Download the full study and follow the ACSI on LinkedIn and X at @theACSI.

No advertising or other promotional use can be made of the data and information in this release without the express prior written consent of ACSI LLC.

About the ACSI

The American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI^®) is a national economic indicator and a leading provider of customer analytics products that help organizations build lasting customer relationships and prove ROI on experience investments. ACSI’s AI-enhanced platform delivers intuitive dashboards and cause-and-effect analytics that pinpoint the quality drivers most predictive of customer allegiance, retention, price tolerance, and financial performance. ACSI data has been shown to correlate strongly with key micro and macroeconomic indicators, including consumer spending, GDP growth, earnings, and stock returns.

Founded in 1994 at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business, the ACSI measures customer satisfaction with more than 400 companies in over 40 industries, including federal government services, based on approximately 200,000 annual interviews. Learn more at https://www.theacsi.org.

ACSI and its logo are Registered Marks of American Customer Satisfaction Index LLC.