After Verizon announced plans to slow down streaming speeds for its unlimited data users, rival AT&T passed Verizon’s Purchase Consideration levels for the first time in four years, according to YouGov BrandIndex.
Purchase Consideration is YouGov BrandIndex’s measurement of potential sales revenue. In a very competitive sector, such as wireless carriers, each percentage point can mean a difference worth millions of dollars.
Verizon’s throttling announcement appeared to not only dampen its Purchase Consideration, but boost AT&T’s consumer perception at the same time.
On August 23, the day Verizon’s throttling went into effect, 24% of adults over 18 said they would consider using Verizon the next time they were in the market for a new wireless carrier. On that same date, AT&T was at 23%.
Now, Verizon is down a couple points to 22%, while AT&T passed them on August 25. AT&T hit 25% on August 31, and as of this week, resides at 24%.
Apart from the occasional short-lived eclipse, the last time AT&T was cleanly ahead of Verizon in Purchase Consideration was early summer 2013, when AT&T bought Leap Wireless for $1.2 billion.
Photo: Getty
