Research Firm Announces New Data Assessing Viability of Wi-Fi-based Mobile Phone Service Plans

Parks Associates released new research at Mobile World Congress today showing that almost 70% of U.S. broadband households express interest in Wi-Fi-based mobile service plans if such plans can save them money. Among those having no interest, 38% perceive that Wi-Fi connections are unsafe and their data would be vulnerable to hacking. Nearly 40% aren’t interested because they are satisfied with their current mobile phone plan.

“Mobile consumers are always looking for reliable service coverage, faster data speeds, and a service plan with the best value,” said Harry Wang, Director, Health & Mobile Product Research, Parks Associates. “Wi-Fi-based mobile service plans provide consumers with alternatives to 3G/4G services, and mobile operators need to look out for disruptors.”

Wang will attend Mobile World Congress this week in Barcelona, Spain, and Parks Associates is supporting the event.

“Despite substantial consumer interest, Wi-Fi-based mobile phone services need to overcome significant hurdles, specifically the fears of data insecurity. Consumers are also worried about the inconvenience of searching for Wi-Fi hotspots and experiencing gaps in public Wi-Fi coverage,” Wang said. “At MWC, we expect to see roadmaps from leading mobile operators to build better next-generation networks with mixed use of Wi-Fi, small-cell, and 4G/Pre-5G cellular technologies to launch both consumer and enterprise mobility services.”

360 View: Mobility and the App Economy also shows:

• Smartphone penetration has reached 86% of U.S. broadband households.
• 39% of smartphone owners use some sort of voice recognition software such as Siri or Google Now.
• 36% of smartphone users use Wi-Fi calling.

Parks Associates is hosting CONNECTIONS™: The Premier Connected Home Conference, May 24-26, in San Francisco. For information on Parks Associates’ research, visit www.parksassociates.com. To schedule an interview with Harry Wang or to request specific data, contact Holly Sprague at [email protected], 720.987.6614.

About Parks Associates: Parks Associates, a woman-founded and certified business, is an internationally recognized market research and consulting company specializing in emerging consumer technology products and services. Founded in 1986, Parks Associates provides business intelligence and research services through its proprietary methodologies developed over decades, including quarterly surveys of 10,000 internet households.

The company's expertise crosses many industries: home security and smart home, streaming video, broadband and pay-TV services, digital media and platforms, gaming, Wi-Fi and home networks, connected health, support, consumer electronics, home control systems, energy management, and tech solutions for the multi-dwelling (MDU), small-to-medium business (SMB), and commercial building markets.

Each year, Parks Associates brings thousands of leaders together for its webinars and annual events. The firm hosts the annual executive research and strategy conferences CONNECTIONS™, Connected Health Summit, Smart Energy Summit, Smart Spaces, and Future of Video. https://www.parksassociates.com
 

Next: 68% of U.S. smartphone owners listen to streaming music daily
Previous: Apple iPhones accounted for 40% of U.S. smartphone market in 2015

Be the first to leave a comment.

Have a comment? Login or create an account to start a discussion.