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8. Conclusions
As the project has analyzed the survey data comparing users’ behaviors, attitudes, and expectation across different mobile user groups, several clear patterns emerged. The following sections summarize some of the finding of the analysis.
8.1. Spending on Mobile Phone Bills: Lower than ARPU in 2011
According to National Communication Commission statistics, ARPU or average revenue per user from 3G subscribers of Taiwanese mobile operators is 786 TWD a month, and from 2G subscribers is 531 TWD a month in 2011 (Figure 5). ARPU reflects the current total spending of the mobile users. From the recent survey data in November 2012, more than half of the respondents spend less than 599 TWD a month in total mobile phone bills, which is lower than the ARPU in 2011. This means that the ARPU in 2012 is becoming less and this decreasing trend in ARPU still continues.
8.2. Motivations for Choosing the Carrier: Cheaper to Call Boyfriend, Girlfriend, Husband, Wife is the Most Appealing Feature
According to the survey, the most common reason for choosing the mobile carrier is cheaper price to call their boyfriend, girlfriend, husband or wife. It indicates that the cheaper intra-network call is very appealing. It can be used to attract and retain the customers in the carriers.
However, it seems to be quite similar in all the carriers.
The second common reasons are varies among the carriers. Far EasTone is the cheapest handsets with package. ChungHua Telecom is recommended by friends for network quality.
Taiwan Mobile is the most suitable rate plan. This means that while mobile carrier features are very similar and might be hard for the operators to differentiate themselves, each operator could have its own way to differentiate itself from others. ChungHua Telecom has differentiated itself from others by maintaining the best quality network reputation. Far EasTone has provided cheapest handsets. And Taiwan mobile is actually not so different from others.
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8.3. Important Carrier Features: Network Coverage, Monthly Rate Plan, Voice Call Quality, and Internet Speed are the Most Important Features but People are just willing to Pay More for Better Coverage, and Internet Speed
As indicated in the analysis, the most important carrier feature is network coverage, followed by monthly rate plan, voice call quality, and internet service speed. Comparing the important levels with willingness to pay more for better quality, it seems that the customers are willing to pay more for some certain features, including network quality, and internet service. They are not willing to pay more for other features.
8.4. Satisfaction towards the Current Carriers: Chunghua Telecom is the Most Satisfying Carrier
According to the analysis, each carrier has different level of satisfaction score in different carrier features. ChungHua Telecom gains significantly much higher score in network coverage, and voice call quality. However, the carrier has quite lower satisfying score in customer loyalty program, choice of handsets, and discounted price handsets. Taiwan Mobile has satisfying score lower than ChungHua Telecom but higher than FarEasTone in network coverage and voice call quality. FarEasTone on the other hand gains considerably higher satisfactions in cheap mobile handsets with contract.
Because not all the carrier features are equally important, the important levels are taken in to the consideration when evaluating the satisfactions. Adjusted satisfaction score have been used in the analysis. As concluded in the analysis, ChungHua Telecom is the most satisfying carrier, followed by Taiwan Mobile and FarEasTone.
8.5. Expectations towards 4G LTE Carriers: High Speed Data Rates,
Mobility, and Voice Call Quality are the Most Favorite Features;
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This indicates that while superfast internet speed is the main feature of 4G LTE, other features are still very important. Once the network is deployed, it’s required the operators to expand their coverage as soon as possible, offer attractive rate plan, and maintain internet service quality and voice quality as top priority.
As for preferable carrier, it’s quite obvious from the analysis that ChungHua Telecom is the most preferable carriers. It’s top of mind brand for mobile carrier in Taiwan. This is probably due to the fact that the carrier has most renowned network quality in 2G network and 3G network so that many mobile users prefer to subscribe for 4G LTE from ChungHua Telecom.
8.6. Subscribing to 4G LTE: Wait and Listen to Other Comments, Wait for Favorite Phones and Promotions, Subscribe after 1 Year
With regard to time to subscribe, 11% of the respondents would subscribe within 3 months and 4% stated that they want to be the first who use 4G LTE. This data could be used to estimate early adopter users for 4G LTE.
On the other hand, half of the respondents answered that they would subscriber after 1 year.
Many said about subscribing to 4G LTE that they will wait and listen to other comments, wait for their favorite phone, and wait for the promotion. Discounted price handsets and choices of 4G LTE enabled handsets are also rated as important features. It’s suggested that the mobile operators should offer variety of 4G LTE enabled handsets with attractive monthly packages in order to convince customers to subscribe for 4G LTE network.
8.7. Carrier Switching: Many Subscribers Plan to Switch to Chunghua Telecom in 4G LTE
As indicated in the report, the analysis found some interesting carrier switching pattern between current subscriptions and prefer 4G LTE carrier of the respondents. It’s found that most of the ChungHua Telecom customers still prefer to subscribe for 4G LTE service from ChungHua Telecom. However, many current users in Taiwan Mobile network and FarEasTone prefer to switch to ChungHua Telecom when they subscribe for 4G LTE service.
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It’s confirmed that ChungHua Telecom has very good reputation in the mobile network quality so that it becomes the most preferable carrier in Taiwan.
8.8. 4G LTE Price: 888 TWD Monthly Plan is Appealing to Heavy Internet Users Spend More
The analysis divided the internet users into two groups. Heavy mobile internet users spend more than 6 hours a week while light mobile internet users spend less than 6 hours a week using the internet on mobile devices. According to the analysis, 44% of the heavy mobile internet users spend more than 800 TWD a month on the total mobile phone bills. 62% of them spend more than 400 TWD a month on the internet service. Heavy mobile internet users have more intension to subscribe for 4G LTE services. As for willingness to pay more, it’s quite obvious that the users in this group are willing to pay more for better internet service, better network coverage and voice call quality comparing to the users in the light mobile internet user group. With regard to the 4G LTE price, 62% of heavy mobile internet users in Cell I answered would subscribe for the service. This is confirmed that the monthly package of 888 TWD is quite acceptable for the heavy mobile internet user group. However, 1888 TWD package might be too expensive even for the heavy mobile internet users.
8.9. Factors Influencing Carrier Switching: Bad Network Coverage, Poor Voice Call Quality, and Slow Data Rates Could Influence Subscribers to Switch to Other Networks
Additionally, the analysis compared the satisfactions of current carriers among those who plan to switch to the other carrier and those who plan to use the same carrier in 4G LTE. It’s found that those who plan to switch to the other carriers are not very satisfied with their current carriers, especially towards network coverage, voice call quality, and internet service, which were rated as very important features. This leads to the conclusion that the important factors influence the mobile users switch from one carrier to the other carriers are bad network
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8.10. Factors Influencing Customers to Use the Same Carriers: Network Quality and Cheap Rate to Call Family are the Most Important Factors to Retain the Subscribers in the Networks
Comparing the motivations when choosing the current carriers between the switching-carrier and non-switching-carrier user group, it’s again found very interesting pattern. The top common reason for those who plan to use the same carriers is lower phone rate to call their boyfriend, girlfriend, husband, wife, followed by recommended by friends for network quality.
On the other hand, cheapest handsets with contracts and suitable rate plan are the most common reasons among the switching-carrier user group.
This leads to the conclusion that the cheap rate plan and low cost handsets with contract can attract more subscribers to the carriers. However, cheaper rate plan to call boyfriend, girlfriend, husband and wife as well as network quality are the most important factors to retain the subscribers in the networks.
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