RESTON, Va., March 31, 2008 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX News Network/ -- comScore, Inc. (Nasdaq: SCOR), a leader in measuring the digital world, today released the results of a study evaluating the behaviors and attitudes of wireless phone subscribers. The findings, published in the March 2008 comScore Wireless Report, are based on a survey of more than 2,000 U.S. wireless cell phone users, providing comprehensive insights into consumer satisfaction, factors influencing purchasing decisions, mobile Internet adoption, and wireless customer migration. The study -- conducted from February 29 to March 5, 2008 -- found that price has become an increasingly important factor in the purchasing decision and that the use of Mobile Internet among existing subscribers continues to grow, with of the majority of these users accessing the Web at least once a day.

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In order to demonstrate the shifts in the wireless consumer landscape, the findings from this study were compared to results from a similar comScore study conducted from October 25 to November 1, 2006, which included data from more than 1,700 U.S. wireless users. These prior findings were first published by comScore in January 2007.

"Overall study results indicate that cellular phones are quickly transitioning from being viewed by consumers as a simple communication device to a multi-functional media and entertainment consumption device," said Serge Matta, senior vice president of comScore Telecommunications Solutions. "There is a significant opportunity for mobile carriers, advertisers and product developers to capitalize on the industry's continued trend toward consumer dependence on cell phones."

Role of Price in Decision-Making Process Increases

As consumer dependence on cell phones grows, it has become increasingly important for marketers to understand the factors motivating a customer to switch carriers. Similar to the 2006 comScore study results, the current study found that coverage, price and family/friend connectivity continue to be the strongest factors in driving consumers' wireless purchasing decisions. However, the 2008 study found that consumers' focus on price has increased, while coverage does not have the commanding lead it once had as a factor. This may be the result of the perception that coverage among leading carriers has become more comparable. In the 2006 study, for example, consumers cited "better coverage" twice as often as "lower price" when noting the primary reason for choosing a wireless service provider. According to the latest survey results, this gap narrowed significantly, with 22 percent of respondents saying "better coverage" was the main determinant compared to 19 percent who said "lower price" was their primary reason for switching to their current cellular carrier.

    Primary Reason For Switching to Current Cellular Carrier
    Source: The comScore Wireless Report

                                           Percent of Survey Respondents

    Primary Reason for Choosing           Oct-Nov 2006       Feb-Mar 2008
             Carrier                          Study              Study

    Better Coverage                             27 %             22 %
    Lower Prices                                14 %             19 %
    Family/Friends Subscribe
     to Carrier                                 13 %             17 %
    Plan Features                                9 %             12 %
    Promotional Offer                            8 %              9 %
    Better Minute Level Plan                     9 %              7 %
    For a Specific Phone                         4 %              3 %
    Other Reason                                16 %             11 %

Just as cost proved to be an important factor when choosing a mobile carrier, cost-savings also plays a role in selecting a mobile plan. In fact, the three most important features cited when choosing a new wireless plan were unlimited off-peak minutes, free in-network calling and the ability to "rollover" unused minutes. Notably, each of these features is directly associated with cost.

Mobile Internet Users Are Becoming More Engaged

Compared to the level of customer engagement in the 2006 study, Mobile Internet users have become significantly more engaged today. In fact, the percentage of Mobile Internet users who access the Internet more than once a day doubled from 18 percent to 36 percent. Further, 56 percent of Mobile Internet respondents said they access the Internet at least daily, which is up 21 percentage points from the earlier study.

    Mobile Internet Access Among Current Mobile Internet Subscribers
    Source: The comScore Wireless Report

                                           Percent of Survey Respondents

    Access the Mobile Internet           Oct-Nov 2006          Feb-Mar 2008
                                             Study                Study

    More than Once a Day                       18 %                36 %
    Once a Day                                 17 %                20 %
    Few Times a Week                           27 %                22 %
    Once a Week                                 8 %                 7 %
    Less than Once a Week                      30 %                15 %

Only 10 percent of survey respondents using Mobile Internet said they were dissatisfied with their Internet browsing, noting that connection speed was the biggest source of their dissatisfaction. For those who are not currently Mobile Internet users, the biggest deterrent was price, which represents a shift from the earlier study where non-users cited a lack of need as the main reason they do not subscribe to Mobile Internet.

    Additional Study Findings:
    -- Thirty-three percent of survey respondents said they do not have a
       landline, which is an increase of 19 percentage points compared to the
       first wave of the study where only 14 percent said they did not have a
       landline.
    -- Forty-four percent of survey respondents agreed with the statement, "I
       feel lost without my cell phone."
    -- Sixty-seven percent of respondents agreed that "having my cell phone
       with me makes me feel safe."
    -- Depending on the carrier, 5 to 15 percent of customers intend to switch
       carriers within the next six months.

Wireless industry professionals and members of the media may request a copy of the full report by visiting: http://www.comscore.com/request/wireless_report.asp.

About The comScore Wireless Report

The comScore Wireless Report provides an in-depth look at the wireless industry, including the general landscape, competition, and the factors that influence consumers' decision processes. Key areas of focus include consumer satisfaction, phone feature usage, mobile Internet adoption, and wireless customer migration. For the purposes of this report, comScore conducted a survey among members of comScore's panel of more than two million online consumers who have given comScore permission to track their complete behavior on the Internet.

About comScore

comScore, Inc. (Nasdaq: SCOR) is a global leader in measuring the digital world. For more information, please visit www.comscore.com/boilerplate.

SOURCE comScore, Inc.

http://www.comscore.com/request/wireless_report.asp

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