Press Release

One quarter of mobile phone customers use mobile services

The benefit from mobile phone services slowly but surely gets up to speed: At least as many as 27% of all Austrian mobile phone users indicate to use mobile services occasionally. Among non-users both awareness and interest are high. One in three mobile phone customers is interested in mobile services.

The offer of mobile telephony operators goes far beyond making phone calls and sending text messages. For years mobile services, which can be used via handsets, have been offered. The assortment of services ranges from downloads via e-mails and payment services to requests for information. What Austrians are really interested in and which services are actually used was the subject of the current ONE Mobile Telephony Barometer survey, in the course of which the market and opinion research institute Integral interviewed about 800 Austrians over 14 years of age in October 2005.

27 percent use mobile services occasionally
The high number of users comes as surprise: After all as many as one quarter of all mobile telephony users indicate to use mobile services occasionally. Among users are primarily men, post-paid mobile phone users as well as young mobile customers . Most frequently the opportunity to download something from the Internet to the handset is taken advantage of – 14 percent of interviewees say they at least use this service occasionally.

Interviewed according to the situations in which mobile services are being used, users have stated the following: when they are on the road in Austria (47 percent), to overcome waiting periods (43 percent) as well when going out in the evening and at the weekend (36 percent).

High awareness of mobile services
Austrian mobile phone users are aware of the additional services offered by mobile telephony providers. With 70% recognition primarily downloading ring tones, background pictures are well-known. These services are followed by services for downloading e-mails (62 percent) and weather information (59 percent).

High interest in mobile e-mail and traffic information
One in three mobile phone users is generally interested in mobile services. The most attractive in this regard is downloading e-mails as well as traffic information, in which one in four people are interested. Getting weather forecasts and news (one in five) are also considered interesting.

The group of non-users was questioned why they did not want to use mobile services. Reasons given were that they had no need for mobile services, but also that applications were too complex.

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