AT&T scored a 60 out of a possible 100 on the survey, which not only places it in last place, but is also a significant drop from its 2009 score of 66. AT&T is the second-largest wireless provider in the US based on total subscribers, and it claims to have the fastest 3G network, but it is consistently derided by customers for poor performance and customer service.

AT&T may be the "worst" wireless provider, but think before you switch providers.It is worth noting, however, that more than half of the responding AT&T customers are iPhone users, and that among non-iPhone smartphone owners AT&T fared better. Perhaps, much of the AT&T network woes are as much--or more-- a function of the iPhone as they are of the AT&T network itself.

In fact, Paul Reynolds, Electronics Editor for Consumer Reports is quoted in a blog post stating, "Our survey suggests that an , which is rumored, could indeed be good news for iPhone fans." However, perhaps a Verizon iPhone will actually be if the Verizon network coincidentally starts having more issues after the iPhone is introduced.

Still--assuming that the AT&T network and customer service complaints are legitimate, is the Consumer Reports survey reason enough for customers to jump ship and seek an alternate wireless provider? Well, no. There are more factors to consider than Consumer Reports opinion on the matter.

First of all, network performance is variable and subjective. Variable because all wireless providers have weak zones and dead spots, and subjective because if you live in a Verizon dead zone with a strong AT&T signal it doesn't really matter what Consumer Reports readers think.