CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 13, 2005--Two-thirds of
US households have at least one mobile phone, according to a new 5,600
household survey from Forrester Research, Inc. (Nasdaq: FORR).
Single-phone households are currently a declining minority, and
households with four or more mobile phones have grown at a rate of 57
percent in the past year.
"The wireless market continues to defy predictions that it is
approaching its saturation point," says Forrester Research Principal
Analyst Charles S. Golvin. "But while consumers keep buying, they are
far from ecstatic with their mobile providers. Despite carriers' focus
on improving their networks and customer service, customer
satisfaction has declined over the past three years and hovers around
50 percent in key categories like customer service and call
dependability."
The "US Mobile Growth Defies Conventional Wisdom" report draws
from Forrester's annual Consumer Technographics(R) North American
Benchmark Study and includes findings on consumer attitudes toward
mobile providers and phone features, data on carrier market share, and
customer satisfaction rankings. Key data points include:
-- Post-consolidation, the top three mobile carriers will own
seven out of 10 mobile households: Cingular (28 percent),
Verizon (27 percent), and Sprint/Nextel (15 percent).
-- Despite a move by providers to add features like digital
cameras and color screens to their phones, consumers'
priorities when purchasing a phone have not shifted over the
past two years. Basic features like price, battery life, and
ease of use continue to be most important features to
consumers. Less than one in 10 subscribers says that a camera
is important in their phone purchase decision.
-- While basic features are most important to consumers when
choosing a phone, wireless data functions, such as the ability
to access email and share photos, are becoming increasingly
important. Twenty percent of consumers say that having data
capabilities is important when purchasing a new phone -- a 39
percent increase over 2002.
-- In 2004, the youngest age category in Forrester's survey (18
to 24 years) surpassed 25- to 34-year-olds as the age group
that is most likely to have a mobile phone. The only age group
below 50 percent penetration for mobile phones is the 65 and
older age group.
-- Prepaid users have doubled in the past two years, reaching
close to 11 percent of mobile phone consumers in 2004.
"US Mobile Growth Defies Conventional Wisdom" is the first
document in the "State Of Mobile 2005" research series. It is
available to WholeView 2(TM) clients and can be found at
www.forrester.com. Upcoming documents in the series will focus on the
rate at which consumers are replacing their landline phones with
mobile phones, mobile data services adoption, and the factors that
motivate consumers to switch providers.
About Forrester Research
Forrester is an independent technology research company that
provides pragmatic and forward-thinking advice about technology's
impact on business. Business, marketing, and IT professionals
worldwide collaborate with Forrester to align their technology
investments with their business goals. Forrester offers products and
services in four major areas: Research, Data, Consulting, and
Community. Established in 1983, Forrester is headquartered in
Cambridge, Mass. For additional information, visit www.forrester.com.
(C) 2005, Forrester Research, Inc. All rights reserved.
CONTACT: Forrester Research, Inc.
Erica Cantwell
+ 1 212/672-1757
ecantwell@forrester.com
SOURCE: Forrester Research, Inc.
