A Study on Determinants of Consumers' Choice of Mobile Data Service

Abstract

As LTE service and smartphone are emerging as the mainstream of mobile communications market, the value and importance of mobile data service has been further increased. MNO(mobile network operator)s already recognized the data service as essential market needs, and have appealed to consumers based on various satisfaction elements of data service such as faster transmission speed, expended data volume provided as default, and introduction of unlimited plan. So, in the smartphone market where has been mature, investigating what service attributes affect users' selection of data service is very meaningful from the perspectives of both the industry and the academic. Under this background, this study explores determinants influencing consumer's choice for mobile data service and analyzes relative importance of the attributes among different type of users. The findings of this study makes us extend our understanding of consumer characteristics and their service needs in data service centric era, and it provides some implications for establishing telecommunications policies and business strategies.