A J.D. Power and Associates report claims that Verizon Wireless ranks highest in customer satisfaction for wireless data services.

The carrier effectively meets customer expectations and requirements of both small and midsized businesses, according to the "J.D. Power and Associates 2008 Business Wireless Satisfaction Study" released last week.

"In the business community, network related issues such as call quality and performance reliability are important elements that impact the daily decision-making process," said Kirk Parsons, senior director of wireless services for J.D. Power, Westlake Village, CA. "Verizon Wireless is meeting those needs effectively."

The study measures customer satisfaction of small and midsize businesses across factors such as call quality, sales and account representatives, company image, customer service, billing, offerings and promotions, cost of service and performance and reliability.

Verizon Wireless performs well in both business segments in call quality, billing, performance and reliability, company image and reliability. Rival carrier T-Mobile USA came in second.

Voice and data services priorities vary depending on the size of the business, the study reveals. Small businesses are more vulnerable to disruptions in connections.

Forty-one percent of businesses subscribe to individual service plans for their employees, J.D. Power said. Nearly 38 percent of businesses use shared-minute plans, an increase from 31 percent in 2006.

The average monthly cost for wireless voice service among small and midsize companies is $512, while large enterprise businesses spend $29,938 per month, on average.

Overall, 54 percent of corporate decision-makers report buying a brand of mobile handset for their employees without seeking employee feedback.

Sixty-five percent of business wireless customers say they contacted a customer service representative with a question or problem within the past year.

Among these customers, 25 percent report contacting their provider due to changes in service plans, while 17 percent say they had issues with phone equipment malfunctions or needed replacements.

"Small businesses place more emphasis on the perception of their carrier's service reliability," Mr. Parsons said. "Larger businesses have complex billing platforms and that's why they require timely responses to inquiries."