DALLAS-Cellular users increasingly are picking up their phones for personal use as opposed to just for business, according to a recent survey from Cellular One of Dallas. The national survey questioned cellular users about their cellular habits.
The “Look Who’s Talking” Survey showed that 70 percent of survey respondents use their cellular phones primarily for personal reasons. Cellular One said this reflects a 50 percent increase in personal use compared with a few years ago.
Noting there are more than 25 million cellular subscribers, Cellular One said trends show that cellular use no longer is a privilege of upper-level executives alone-that cellular phones now are common tools of American households.
An increased ability to stay in touch and coordinate activities and schedules makes cellular popular, but the company says a key reason many people have purchased a cellular phone is for personal safety. Among those questioned, 91 percent said having a cellular phone made them feel safer and among women questioned, 97 percent said their cellular phone gave them a greater sense of security. More women than men said they use their phones for personal reasons, 78 percent and 63 percent respectively.
Survey responses also showed: 87 percent feel cellular service makes communications with loved ones easier; 63 percent said it helps them better manage their children’s activities; and 73 percent said cellular helps them get more done overall.
Cellular One reports even when cellular phones are carried for business, they still serve personal needs. Of the 77 percent who indicated they use their cellular phone during business travel, 84 percent said cellular helps them keep in touch with family members while on the road. Fifty-seven percent of respondents said cellular service makes doing their job easier.
Of respondents, 71 percent said they accomplish more during their personal time because they use a cellular phone and 76 percent said they have more control over their daily schedule.
The May 1995 survey interviewed 1,000 21- to 65-year-old cellular phone users nationwide and was conducted by Market Research Institute, an independent Merriam, Kan., research firm, for Cellular One. Cellular One is the service mark of Cellular One Group, a partnership of Southwestern Bell Mobile Systems, Vanguard Cellular Systems, Inc., and McCaw Cellular Communications, Inc.
