Qwest, AT & T and T-Mobile Likely to Feel Shift After Nov. 24, 2003.

Wireless service providers AT&T, Qwest Communications and T-Mobile are likely to see a seismic shift in their customer base when a recent Federal government ruling takes effect next week, according to the latest BIGresearch survey.

The survey asked consumers of those providers if being allowed to keep the same cell phone number when switching services would encourage them to change. Qwest led the list of providers with 38 percent of its consumers answering ‘yes,’ while 37.6 percent of T-Mobile customers and 37 percent of AT&T customers said ‘yes.’

“From the perspective of a consumer, the inability to take a phone number from one provider to another meant, in some cases, consumers stayed with service they didn’t want, just so they could keep the same phone number,” said Gary Drenik, President and CEO of BIGresearch. “Without that restriction, however, the playing field changes considerably.”

The finding is part of BIG research’s monthly Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey, which features detailed information on how consumers are spending money today, and how they intend to do so in the next three to six months.

Also facing the shift are Cellular One, SprintPCS, Cricket Communications and U.S. Cellular — all with more than 32 percent of their customers saying ‘yes,’ the ruling will encourage them to change providers.

Conversely, customers of TracFone and Verizon were shown to be the least likely to change carriers.

The shift could be especially profound for smaller providers, like Cricket.

“Consumers of small providers are not high-volume users. The big winners in the marketplace will be those who are able to effectively cater to both small and large audiences,” said Drenik. “As the industry faces this change, it becomes more important than ever for wireless service providers to know their consumers.”

For more information at http://www.BIGresearch.com