Verizon Wireless landed on top of another J.D. Power and Associates study.

The research firm released its 2008 Wireless Call Quality Performance Study — Vol. 2, measuring call quality on seven different problem areas that affect overall carrier performance. The study generates top performers by region.

Verizon Wireless ranked highest for the eighth consecutive time in both the Northeast Region and the Mid-Atlantic Region. The carrier also won the West Region and tied competitor Sprint Nextel Corp. for the Southwest Region. Alltel Communications L.L.C. for the third time in a row ranked highest in the Southeast Region and tied U.S. Cellular Corp. for first place in the North Central Region.

These findings should make carriers take a deeper look at the problem, or customers will flee. The study reported that among customers likely to switch carriers, call quality problem rates have increased considerably. The 14% of customers whom said they would “definitely/probably will” switch wireless providers also coincidentally reported a high rate of call-related problems. Those in the “definitely will” category reported a problem rates average of 51 problems per 100 calls, which is five times higher than the nine problems per 100 calls reported by customers who “definitely will not” switch in the next five months.

The study is based on responses from 22,407 wireless users and fielding was conducted between February and June. The news comes just a few weeks after Verizon Wireless ranked first in J.D. Power and Associates’ 2008 Wireless Customer Care Performance study.

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