• April 1, 2008

Price is an increasingly important factor for consumers when choosing a wireless operator, according to new research from comScore.

In a survey of 2,000 cell phone users between Feb. 29 and March 5, 19% cited lower price as the main reason they switched carriers compared to only 14% in a late 2006 comScore study. Getting better coverage remained the chief reason for switching, but slipped from 27% in 2006 to 22% in the most recent poll.

Savings was also a key concern in selecting a wireless plan. The three most important features were unlimited off-peak minutes, free in-network calling and the ability to "rollover" unused minutes.

The findings suggest the focus on price has sharpened as consumers perceive that coverage among the top carriers has become more comparable. That should come as welcome news to the major U.S. carriers who have all recently adopted $99.99 flat-rate, unlimited calling plans, with Sprint throwing in unlimited mobile data to boot.

The comScore study also found that mobile Web surfing is on the rise. The proportion of mobile Internet subscribers who access the Web via cell phone more than once a day doubled to 36% since 2006. And 56% of mobile Web users go online at least once a day, up from 35% in the earlier study.

Among other data, the comScore Wireless Report found that the percentage of mobile users who don't have a landline had nearly doubled to 33% this year, from 14% in 2006. That finding should please wireless operators as well.

--Mark Walsh