Comcast, AOL top access survey

Comcast is the U.S. biggest provider of broadband services in the one area that matters most—revenue—according to a newly released survey by Prophis eReseach. However, AOL still has the most overall Internet access subscribers.

The cable operator, which used last quarter’s earnings report to trumpet the fact that it now has more than one million voice subscribers, actually generated more revenue, about $4 billion from broadband access. AOL, which yesterday announced that it was increasing its dial-up price as part of an effort to move subscribers to its broadband product, still provides internet access to the largest number of household customers among ISPs, with an estimated 10.9 million households served either directly from AOL or from an AOL partner.

Conversely, Prophis’ survey, which polled 2037 U.S. households in November and December 2005, found that it was smaller broadband providers that were tops in customer satisfaction. Cable One and Alltel were rated the highest on a composite satisfaction scale while NetZero was found to have the highest overall customer satisfaction among ISPs not providing any broadband service. Both Cable One and NetZero ranked high despite the availability of lower cost options.

“While customers clearly like lower prices over higher prices, non-price criteria were more important in predicting satisfaction than was price,” Stuart Hemerling, Senior Research Consultant with Prophis eResearch, said in prepared comments. “Especially in the case of broadband customers, reliability and speed are extremely important and competitors were found to vary considerably in their ability to deliver. Many of the top-rated groups of broadband providers in terms of customer satisfaction are also able to charge significantly higher monthly fees, into the $40-45 range.”