Wireless Consumers Remain Overwhelmingly Satisfied with Service – Opposed to Discriminatory Wireless Taxes & Fees, Onerous Regulations

MARCH 22, 2011 – New national wireless consumer survey data released by nonpartisan non-profit consumer advocacy coalition MyWireless.org® shows that America’s cellphone consumers remain highly satisfied with their wireless service, are opposed to higher federal, state and local taxes and believe proposals to add new regulations on their wireless service would raise prices and slow investment and innovation.

McLaughlin & Associates, along with Penn, Schoen & Berland Associates, conducted this bi-partisan national survey of 1,000 adult wireless phone users who are likely voters via telephone on March 1-3, 2011.

Of the 1,000 cellphone users polled nationwide, the findings include:

1. How often do you use a cellphone? If you don’t have a cellphone, just say so.

• 80% Regularly Use
• 67% Every Day
• 12% Almost Every Day
• 20% Couple Times a Week

2. When there is a general election for US Senate and Congress, do you always vote, almost always vote, vote most of the time, hardly ever vote, or never vote? If not registered, just say so.

• 87% Very Likely Voter
• 69% Always Vote
• 18% Almost Always Vote
• 13% Vote Most of the Time

3. For you personally, what is the most important reason for having a cellphone?

• 28% In Case of Emergency
• 12% Stay in Touch
• 10% Convenience
• 9% Talk to Family
• 8% For Business
• 5% Talk to Kids, Check in
• 4% Quick, Easy Communication
• 4% Safety
• 3% Roadside Emergency
• 2% Portable, Always with Me
• 2% Reach Me Anytime
• 1% Use Anywhere
• 1% Easy Access
• 1% Travel Usage
• 1% Security
• 1% Free or Cheap Long Distance

4. Which of the following cellphone features is the most important to you?

• 70% Making, Receiving Voice Calls
• 14% Texting
• 5% Internet Access
• 4% Email
• 1% GPS Navigation
• 1% Taking Pictures or Video
• 1% ‘Apps’

5. Overall, are you satisfied or dissatisfied with your cellphone service?

• 95% Satisfied
• 59% Very Satisfied
• 37% Somewhat Satisfied
• 4% Dissatisfied

6. Considering the price you pay for your cellphone service and the benefits it provides you, do you consider the value of your cellphone service to be excellent, good, fair or poor?

• 75% EXCELLENT or GOOD
• 25% Excellent
• 49% Good
• 23% FAIR or POOR
• 18% fair
• 5% poor

7. Do you believe adding new government regulations on cellphone service would make your cellphone service better or worse, or make no difference?

• 6% Better
• 33% Worse
• 36% No Difference at All

8. Do you believe adding new government regulations on cellphone service would make your cellphone service more expensive or less expensive, or make no difference?

• 60% More Expensive
• 6% Less Expensive
• 18% No Difference at All

9. Which of the following proposals would you like to see Congress pass?

a. A proposal that ensures one consistent national set of rules and regulations for wireless services.

-OR-

b. A proposal that allows each of the 50 states to impose its own set of rules and regulations on wireless services.

• 42% National Rules
• 43% State Rules
• 15% Don’t Know

10. Now, how would you rate the job wireless companies are doing for their customers in each of the following areas? Would you say they are doing an excellent, good, fair or poor job?

“Providing choices of phones and plans.”

• 76% EXCELLENT or GOOD
• 24% excellent
• 52% good
• 20% FAIR or POOR
• 16% fair
• 5% poor

11. Now, how would you rate the job wireless companies are doing for their customers in each of the following areas? Would you say they are doing an excellent, good, fair or poor job?

“Providing cutting edge technology.”

• 81% EXCELLENT or GOOD
• 33% excellent
• 48% good
• 10% FAIR or POOR
• 9% fair
• 1% poor

12. Now, how would you rate the job wireless companies are doing for their customers in each of the following areas? Would you say they are doing an excellent, good, fair or poor job?

“Providing innovative applications, known as ‘Apps.’”

• 64% EXCELLENT or GOOD
• 24% excellent
• 40% good
• 11% FAIR or POOR
• 8% fair
• 2% poor

13. Now, how would you rate the job wireless companies are doing for their customers in each of the following areas? Would you say they are doing an excellent, good, fair or poor job?

“Being fair to customers.”

• 57% EXCELLENT or GOOD
• 13% excellent
• 44% good
• 38% FAIR or POOR
• 28% fair
• 10% poor

14. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement?

“Companies competing for wireless customers give consumers enough choices so they can pick the wireless device, plan, options and content that best fits their needs?”

• 83% Agree
• 37% Strongly Agree
• 46% Somewhat Agree
• 12% Disagree
• 7% Somewhat Disagree
• 5% Strongly Disagree

15. Please tell me whether you agree or disagree with the following statement.

“Wireless companies keep offering customers more choices, more innovation and more services, so you have the freedom to do just about anything with your phone.”

• 85% AGREE
• 46% strongly agree
• 39% somewhat agree
• 9% DISAGREE
• 6% somewhat disagree
• 4% strongly disagree

16. Have you ever switched to a new wireless carrier?

• 42% Yes
• 57% No

17. Was your reason for switching to a new wireless provider more about taking advantage of better devices, prices or services provided by another wireless carrier? Or other?

• 68% Taking Advantage
• 26% Other

18. Which phone service is more important to you?

• 54% Cellphone Service
• 36% Home Landline Service

19. Would you consider giving up your home landline phone and only use a cellphone? If you have already given up your home landline phone and only use your cellphone, please say so.

• 7% Have Already Given Up
• 33% Yes, Would Consider
• 57% No, Would Not Consider

20. What is the primary reason for not wanting to give up your home landline phone?

• 30% Like it, it’s a Habit
• 15% Reliable and Dependent
• 10% Better Quality or Reception
• 7% Fax and/or Internet
• 5% Ease of Use, Convenient
• 5% Security and Safety
• 4% Cheaper, Save Money
• 3% Emergency, or Tracing
• 2% Use it for Business
• 2% It’s Always Charged
• 2% Spend More Time at Home
• 2% In Case of Power Outage

21. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement?:

“My cellphone makes my life easier.”

• 89% AGREE
• 54% Strongly Agree
• 35% Somewhat Agree
• 10% DISAGREE
• 5% Somewhat Disagree
• 4% Strongly Disagree

22. Regarding your cellphone service, which one of the following is the important issue to you?

a. Better value for your service

b. Improving cellphone coverage and quality

c. Cellphone features like Internet access

d. Adding more consumer protections

e. Access to all of the ‘Apps’ you want

• 48% Better Value
• 36% Coverage and Quality
• 5% Consumer Protections
• 3% Access to ‘Apps’
• 3% Features and Internet

23. How often would you say you purchase online digital downloads such as ringtones, music, videos, games, books or software to your computer, cellphone or other wireless device?

• 33% Download
• 4.8% Regularly
• 1.2% Every Day
• 3.6% Once/Twice A Week
• 8.3% Once/Twice A Month
• 19.9% Rarely
• 65.7% Never
• 1.3% Don’t Know/Refused

24. Have you seen, read or heard anything about state or city governments wanting to tax the purchases of online digital downloads - such as ringtones, music, movies, videos, games, books, pictures and software?

• 21.4% Yes
• 75.4% No
• 3.2% Don’t Know/Refused

25. Which statement do you agree with more on the issue of taxing the purchases of online digital downloads?

1. Purchasing online digital downloads crosses state lanes, and interstate commerce is subject to one fair and consistent set of taxes established by federal guidelines. Or,

2. Each state should have the right to decide how its state taxes the purchases of online digital downloads without any national rules established by the federal government.

• 30.6% Federal Guidelines
• 46.5% State Guidelines
• 22.9% Don’t Know/Refused

26. Do you use “apps” on your cellphone or other wireless device?

• 27.8% Yes
• 70.4% No
• 1.8% Don’t Know/Refused

27. What type of “apps” do you or would you use most often on your cellphone or other wireless device?

• 13.0% GPS/Navigation
• 9.5% Social Networking
• 9.3% News
• 8.6% Weather
• 3.5% Entertainment
• 2.2% Sports
• 1.4% Restaurants/Dining
• 9.8% None
• 39.3% Don’t Know/Refused

28. Are you aware wireless carriers now offer parental controls that allow parents to limit a child’s cellphone use, a child’s Internet access, and texting and downloading? If you are unaware, please say so.

• 61.9% Yes, Aware
• 35.6% No, Unaware
• 2.5% Don’t Know/Refused

29. Regarding children under the age of 18, which one of the following best describes your family?

1. I have a child who has a cellphone on a family plan

2. I have a child who has a cellphone but not on a family plan

3. I have children but they don’t have cellphones

4. I don’t have any children under the age of 18

• 31.2% Children
• 19.3% With Cellphone
• 12.5% Cell/Family Plan
• 6.8% Cell/Not Family
• 11.9% Without Cellphones
• 66.4% No Children Under 18
• 2.4% Don’t Know/Refused

30. Do you currently use the parental controls offered by wireless carriers or other providers?

• 32.8% Yes
• 67.2% No

31. From what you know, about what percentage of your monthly cellphone bill is made up of taxes and fees?

• 11.7% Said Less Than 5%
• 23.2% Said 5% to 9%
• 15.7% Said 10% to 14%
• 6.3% Said 15% to 19%
• 6.9% Said 20% or More
• 36.2% Don’t Know/Refused

32. Do you think the tax rate on your monthly cellphone service should be lower, the same or higher than the taxes you pay on general goods and services, which is approximately 7%?

• 48.5% Lower
• 36.2% The Same
• 2.8% Higher
• 12.5% Don’t Know/Refused

33. Would you support or oppose Congress passing a 5-year freeze on discriminatory, new wireless taxes and fees?

• 66.5% SUPPORT
• 39.9% Strongly Support
• 26.6% Somewhat Support
• 17.9% OPPOSE
• 5.8% Somewhat Oppose
• 12.1% Strongly Oppose
• 15.6% Don’t Know/Refused

34. Are you aware that your cellphone or wireless device is a recyclable product? If you are unaware, please say so.

• 84% Yes, aware
• 15% No, unaware
• 1% Don’t Know/Refused

35. Are you aware that your cellphone or wireless device accessories are also recyclable products? If you are unaware, please say so.

• 68% Yes, aware
• 30% No, unaware
• 2% Don’t Know/Refused

36. Do you know if your wireless carrier has a “green” program in place to accept your used wireless products? If you don’t know, please say so.

• 36% Yes
• 42% No
• 21% Don’t Know/Refused

37. Have you ever recycled or donated an old or no longer in-service wireless device or any device accessories?

• 54% Yes
• 44% No
• 2% Don’t Know/Refused