Consumer ‘Tudes toward Mobile Multimedia Shifting, So Too Operator Roles

Mobile subscribers’ perception of their mobile operators has shifted - 66 percent said they view them as data connectivity providers, but 20 percent said they view them as aggregators and providers of multimedia content and services, according to a 3-ple Media survey, writes MarketingCharts.

Moreover, another 14 percent of subscribers agreed that mobile operators are trusted guardians of personal data and information, much like a bank, and suppliers of personalized mobile multimedia services, according to the survey.

The study surveyed some 1,250 subscribers, mobile operators, brands, media companies and advertising agencies and Web 2.0 developers.

Among the survey findings:

• The majority of mobile consumers embrace and accept mobile multimedia services: 55 percent said they are looking forward to receiving mobile multimedia.
• By 2010, regular multimedia usage among subscribers will be at mass-market penetration levels (31-50 percent+), according to 58 percent of operators surveyed.
• More education is required, as a lack of subscriber multimedia know-how hinders the growth of the addressable market, said 85 percent of operators in the survey. Other hindrances:
  • Subscriber misperceptions of mobile multimedia costs - according to 84 percent of operators.
  • Lack of knowledge of available services, or misperceptions of the prohibitive cost of services - according to 59 percent of subscribers.
  • Estimated infrastructure cost to expand capacity to serve all multimedia subscriber levels - according to 65 percent of operators.
• Eight of ten operators agreed that becoming a mobile data connectivity provider is either quite likely or highly likely. But, overall, respondents noted that it is still unclear whether they will move beyond simple flat-rate data connectivity to become mobile multimedia service companies.

MarketingCharts has some more findings about operators’ points of view.