CHICAGO-More than half of the world’s mobile phone users with multimedia handsets use their phones to access the Internet or check e-mail at least once a month, according to a report from Mobinet.
The survey, initiated by consulting firm A.T. Kearney and Cambridge University’s Judge Business School, found that two-thirds of such users said new services and functions were “easy to understand and enjoyable to use.” One-third downloaded music-up 21 percent from last year’s study-and 17 percent said they were willing to pay for mobile TV services.
But the cost and quality of such services remains a concern for consumers, the study said. Half of the 4,000 users surveyed said they wouldn’t pay more than $5 a month for mobile data services, and 35 percent cited poor content as the reason they don’t access multimedia services-up drastically from last year’s eight percent.
“This is unsettling for operators that have been investing heavily in proprietary portals and content,” said Simon Bell, a professor at the Judge Business School. “Perhaps it suggests they seek more partnerships with established online portal brands and media companies.”
