MIAMI-Seventy-eight percent of the wireless minutes paid for by consumers go unused on a monthly basis, according to recent analysis from TNS Telecoms.
Additionally, the average wireless household pays $17.75 more each month than the cost of a monthly rate plan after factoring in taxes, fees and additional charges.
“It’s not surprising that overall consumer spending on telecom services continues to grow, with wireless service representing a strong portion of that growth,” said Charles White of TNS Telecoms. “What may be a surprise to consumers is that on average they only use 22 percent of the wireless minutes they have available.”
Specific findings of the study include:
- Consumers with monthly plans advertised at $20 or less are paying 52-percent more when they get billed;
- The average wireless household has 1,831 wireless minutes available but uses only 452; and
- Approximately 1,400 wireless minutes per average wireless household go unused each month.
“Prepaid offerings can actually be less expensive than many contracted, postpaid plans when you consider the real cost of these plans, especially if you are a lower-volume user,” said F.J. Pollak, president and chief executive officer of prepaid wireless service provider TracFone Wireless, in response to the analysis. “Based on TNS’ recent data, too many Americans are paying for more minutes than they use. With a prepaid wireless service, no matter the day or time, you will only pay for the minutes used. It’s a win-win situation for the consumer.”
