Nearly 1 in 10 Adults Use Wireless Phones Exclusively.
June 6, 2005
One in ten (9%) U.S. adults have abandoned their traditional telephone service completely and now use their wireless phone exclusively. This trend is expected to grow as five percent of all adults say they are “seriously considering” going exclusively wireless within one year. Another 47 percent say they are “somewhat considering” this switch.
These are some of the results from The 2005 Telecommunications Report, a study conducted quarterly by Harris Interactive®. The most recent study was conducted online in April 2005 among a sample of 1,088 U.S. adults.
Barriers to switching to wireless exclusively
While the trend is expected to grow, there is still a segment of the population (39% of all adults) who say they will never abandon their traditional phone line. Among these adults, the top reasons given for never wanting to make this switch include:
Safety of a traditional phone (26%)
Need for Internet access (20%)
Pricing not attractive enough (12%)
Cell signal at home is weak or unreliable (7%)
Coverage is not good enough (6%)
Want/need multiple extensions/phones (6%)
Factors that could influence exclusive wireless phone use
Results show that there are steps that wireless providers can take to possibly change the minds of those who say they would never go exclusively wireless. These include:
Reduced pricing plan (34%)
Coverage improvement plan (30%)
Money-back guarantee (24%)
Wireless broadband for home or office (23%)
Great deal on “multiple extension units” for home (20%)
Free trial (30 days) (16%)
Testimonials from friends and neighbors (10%)
“These results show that many consumers are actively seeking out alternative telecommunications services and the options are out there,” states Joe Porus, chief architect for the Technology Research Practice at Harris Interactive. “While the majority of consumers are happy with their landline service, the movement toward wireless replacement options clearly shows that consumer sentiment is changing. Telecommunications service providers (wired and wireless) need to be prepared!”
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For more information at http://www.harrispollonline.com
