ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -  DISH Network L.L.C., America's fastest-growing pay-TV provider, is now No. 1 in customer satisfaction among satellite and cable companies, according to the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI).

In this year's survey, DISH Network scored a 71 for customer satisfaction - a significant seven-point increase from 2009 and well above the 2010 pay-TV industry average of 66. DISH Network scored three points higher than DirecTV, four points higher than Cox, 10 points higher than Comcast and Time Warner, and 11 points higher than Charter. Phone companies Verizon and AT&T rated highest in the category with scores of 73 and 72, respectively.

In addition to receiving the highest scores for customer satisfaction among satellite and cable companies, DISH Network topped satellite and cable in customer loyalty and perceived value. DISH Network also received the fewest complaints in the entire industry for the second year in a row, and advanced in areas of customer expectations and perceived quality, with scores above the industry average.

"DISH Network's dramatically-improved ranking in the ACSI survey is testimony to the considerable strides we made over the past year to re-establish our leadership in customer service," said Charlie Ergen, Chairman, President and CEO of DISH Network. "We know our customers have many choices when it comes to TV, which is why we remain committed to providing them with best-in-class service at an unmatched value."

The ACSI is a national economic indicator of customer evaluations of the quality of products and services available to U.S. household consumers, and reflects customers' overall satisfaction with the service. Consumers were surveyed in the first quarter of 2010 for their ratings about perceived overall quality, perceived value and expectations. The ACSI survey is produced by the Stephen M. Ross Business School at the University of Michigan, in partnership with the American Society for Quality and the international consulting firm CFI Group.

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