ACMA mobile consumer research, 2009
Mobile consumer survey
Ipsos project no. 09-002241
To be administered using computer-assisted telephone interviewing via RDD. Headings will not appear in field version.
Sample structure
State/territory / Overall representative targets (latest ABS 3128.0) / … broken down byMetro / Non-metro
NSW / 426 / 268 / 158
Victoria / 322 / 235 / 87
Queensland / 259 / 115 / 144
Western Australia / 130 / 96 / 34
South Australia / 98 / 72 / 26
Tasmania / 31 / 13 / 18
ACT / 21 / 21 / 0
NT / 13 / 7 / 6
Total / 1,300 / 828 / 472
(50/50 gender split to apply for national sample)
1 Introduction
Good morning/afternoon/evening, my name is ______from Ipsos, the research company. I’m calling on behalf of the Australian Communications and Media Authority, the Commonwealth Government agency responsible for regulating telecommunications in Australia.
We are conducting important research about consumer usage and attitudes towards mobile phone services. We would like to include the views of someone in your household and I was hoping to speak to the mobile phone user in your household who is 15 years or over and who last had a birthday?
The survey is voluntary and totally anonymous. It should only take up 10 minutes of your time.
(REPEAT INTRODUCTION IF NECESSARY)
1.1 Firstly, can I confirm that you personally use a mobile phone?
INTERVIEWER NOTE: Should respondent query, this does NOT include cordless handset for landline, or wireless landline.
No or don’t know / 0 – Ask to speak with more appropriate member of household, or terminate with thanks
1.2 RECORD GENDER
Female / 2
1.3 RECORD POSTCODE
1.4 RECORD METRO/REGIONAL LABEL
2 Current mobile usage
2.1 [ALL] Are you responsible for paying for your mobile phone usage? Or does someone else, such as your employer, pay for all or part of your usage?
INTERVIEWER NOTE: If parent or partner pays, record as CODE 0.
Yes – I pay for some of my usage / 2
No – someone else responsible for paying all usage / 0
Don’t know / 98
2.2 [ALL] How long have you used a mobile phone? [READ OUT]
6 months or less / 16 to 12 months / 2
1 to 2 years / 3
3 to 4 years / 4
4 to 5 years / 5
More than 5 years / 6
Don’t know / 98
2.3 [ALL] Can you tell me if your mobile phone handset is capable of accessing 3G services (such as mobile TV, video calling and mobile broadband Internet access)?
Yes / 1 – GO 2.4No / 0 – GO 2.5
Don’t know / 98 – GO 2.4
2.4 [CODE 1 OR 98 ABOVE] And have you ever accessed content and services via the internet on your phone?
No / 0
Don’t know/unsure / 98
2.5 [ALL] I am now going to read out a range of mobile phone-based activities, and I’d like you to indicate whether you’ve performed them in the last six months. READ OUT ACTIVITY, MULTI.
ROTATE ACTIVITIES 1-7
Sent or received picture/photo messages (MMS) / 2
Took photos or videos / 3
Used Bluetooth applications / 4
Used GPS Navigation / 5
Played games, either online or existing on the phone / 6
Listened to music, through radio or MP3 / 7
[ONLY CODE 0 @ 2.3] Are there any other mobile phone features or services you have used in the last six months that you can tell me about that I have missed out in that list? [RECORD VERBATIM]? / 8
2.6 [CODE 1 OR 98 @ 2.4] And what about any of these activities using the internet on your mobile phone? READ OUT ACTIVITY, MULTI
ROTATE ACTIVITIES 1-9
Accessed sport updates / 2
Accessed weather updates / 3
Used Mobile TV / 4
Internet browsing / 5
Sent or received email / 6
Made VoIP calls / 7
Streamed or downloaded music / 8
Streamed or downloaded videos / 9
Are there any other advanced mobile internet features or services you have used in the last six months that you can tell me about that I have missed out in that list? [RECORD VERBATIM]? / 10
2.7 [ALL] Are there any services or functions on a mobile that you are interested in using that you currently don’t use? What are they? DO NOT READ OUT [MULTI]
Accessing internet applications / 1Sending SMS/MMS / 2
Use Bluetooth applications / 3
GPS Navigation / 4
Camera / 5
Games, either online or existing on the phone / 6
Listen to music, through radio or MP3 player on the mobile / 7
Use video calling / 8
Other [RECORD VERBATIM] / 9
None / 0
Don’t know / 98
2.8 [ANY OF CODES 1-9 ABOVE] What’s the main reason why you don’t do this/ these services? DO NOT READ OUT, MULTIPLE RESPONSE
Lack of time / 2
Cost/too expensive / 3
Don’t have a 3G phone / 4
Lack of internet access / 5
Do not have service available on my phone / 6
Other [RECORD VERBATIM] / 7
3 Mobile phone capped plans
3.1 [ALL] Now we have a few short questions on mobile plans. What type of mobile phone payment plan do you use? Is it… READ OUT [SINGLE]
Pre-paid / 1 – GO 3.10Or a contract or plan where you are sent a monthly bill / 2
[DO NOT READ OUT] Don’t know / 98
3.2 [CODE 2 ABOVE] Do you personally have a mobile capped plan?
[IF NECESSARY] Definition of capped plan: Typically a capped plan includes an agreed minimum price per billing period for the use of services to a certain value. For example, $49 cap with $500 worth of calls and text.
No / 0 – GO TO 4.1
Don’t know / 98 – GO TO 4.1
3.3 [CODE 1 ABOVE] And why did you take up this capped plan? DO NOT READ OUT, MULTI
Part of a bundling service / 1Value for money / 2
Features included / 3
New handset / Free handset / 4
Free calls/texts/etc offered for family/friends on the same network / 5
Knew what I had to pay each month / Budgeting / 6
That’s all I was offered / No alternatives offered / 7
Other [RECORD VERBATIM] / 8
Don’t know / 98
3.4 [CAP RESPONDENTS IE CODE 1 @ 3.2] Thinking about the bills you have received in the last year, how often have you exceeded your capped plan? Would it have been… READ OUT, SINGLE
7 - 11 times/months / 2
3 - 6 times/months / 3
1 - 2 times/months / 4
Never / 5
DO NOT READ OUT] Don’t know / 98
3.5 [CAP RESPONDENTS IE CODE 1 @ 3.2] Do you track or monitor your mobile phone expenditure between bills?
No / 0
Don’t know / 98 – GO TO 3.7
3.6 [CODE 0 @ 3.5] Why don’t you track your expenditure?
It’s confusing / 1I didn’t know I could do it / 2
I don’t know how to track my mobile phone expenditure / 3
Can’t be bothered/tracking not of interest / 4
Other [RECORD VERBATIM] / 5
[DO NOT READ OUT] Don’t know / 98
3.7 [CAP RESPONDENTS IE CODE 1 @ 3.2] How satisfied are you with the options given to you by your mobile provider to track your mobile phone expenditure? Are you… READ OUT
Very satisfied / 1Satisfied / 2
Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied / 3
Dissatisfied / 4
Very dissatisfied / 5
[DO NOT READ OUT] Not aware of options / 97
[DO NOT READ OUT] Don’t know / 98
3.8 [CODE 4 or 5 @ 3.7] Why are you dissatisfied?
RECORD VERBATIM
3.9 [CAP RESPONDENTS IE CODE 1 @ 3.2] Do you know what is included or excluded in your mobile plan?
No / 0
Don’t know / 98
3.10 [CODE 1 @ 3.1] And why do you have a pre-paid plan? DO NOT READ OUT, MULTI
To control my spending / budget / 1A plan/contract was too expensive / 2
I was given the phone / 3
Didn’t want to sign a contract / 4
Didn’t have the credit to get a post-pay phone / 5
Other [RECORD VERBATIM] / 6
Don’t know / 98
4 Overall satisfaction
4.1 [ALL] Overall, how satisfied or dissatisfied are you with your mobile phone service? Would you say you are… READ OUT, SINGLE
Satisfied / 2 – GO TO 5.1
Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied / 3
Dissatisfied / 4
Or, very dissatisfied / 5
[DO NOT READ OUT] Don’t know / 98
4.2 [CODES 4 & 5 ABOVE] Why are you dissatisfied with your mobile service? DO NOT READ OUT, MULTI
Bad customer service / 2
Data limits are too low / 3
Data rate/ speed is too slow / 4
Data downloads are too expensive / 5
Bad mobile reception/ coverage / 6
Trouble with billing/ costs always changing / 9
Hard to get through to providers / 11
Line drop-outs / 12
Poor mobile coverage/I am unable to get reception in certain areas / 13
Other [RECORD VERBATIM] / 14
Can't say / 98
4.3 [DISSATISFIED, IE CODE 4 OR 5 @ 4.1] What actions, if any, have you taken in the last 12 months in response to any dissatisfaction with your mobile services? DO NOT READ OUT, MULTI
Filed the complaint with the telecommunications industry ombudsman / 2
Changed to a different service provider / 3
Changed to a cheaper service plan or capped plan / 4
Mentioned problem to friend/ family/ colleague at work/ word of mouth / 5
Wrote letter to newspaper / 6
Blog entry/ chat forum / 7
Called a talkback radio station / 8
Complained to ACMA (Australian Communications and Media Authority) / 9
Complained to member of parliament / 10
Disconnected the service / 11
Contacted TV station / 12
Contacted retail outlet / 13
No action taken/ none / 14
Have not been dissatisfied/ not sufficiently dissatisfied to take any action / 15
Other [RECORD VERBATIM] / 16
Can't say / 98
5 Switching and number portability
5.1 [ALL] We’re almost at the end now. Have you switched your mobile phone service provider in the last 12 months?
Yes / 1No / 0
Don’t know / 98
5.2 [CODE 1 ABOVE] Did you keep your phone number when you switched?
Yes / 1No / 0
Don’t know / 98
5.3 [CODE 0 or 98 @ 5.1 or CODE 0 or 98 @ 5.2] Are you aware that you can keep your phone number when you switch service providers?
Yes / 1No / 0
Don’t know / 98
6 Mobile premium services
6.1 This final series of questions is about mobile premium services. These are services such as horoscopes, voting services (for example, for contestants on TV programs), ringtones, games and wallpapers that can be ordered through a “one-nine” (19) number or via the internet.
Have you paid for such a service for your mobile phone in the last 12 months? The service may have been purchased by another user of a mobile phone account for which you are responsible. [IF YES] Have you subscribed to one or more services in the last 12 months?
Yes – more than one / 2
No / 0
DON’T KNOW / 98
6.2 [CODE 1 OR 2 ABOVE] Was the service ordered via the internet, SMS or landline? [IF CODE 2 ABOVE, IDENTIFY/RECORD ALL MODES] MULTI
SMS / 2
Landline / 3
DON’T KNOW / 98
6.3 [CODE 1 OR 2 @ 6.1] Where did you see this service (these services) advertised? [IF NECESSARY, How did you find out about it (them)?] DO NOT READ OUT, MULTI
Television / 2
Internet / 3
Radio / 4
Recommended by friends / 5
Received an SMS / 6
Other [RECORD VERBATIM] / 7
6.4 [CODE 1 OR 2 @ 6.1] What type of product or service was it (were they)? [IF NECESSARY: I am interested in the last 12 months. DO NOT READ OUT, MULTI
Music / 2
Chat / 3
Competitions / 4
Horoscopes / 5
News / 6
Sport / 7
Weather / 8
Voting / 9
Adult content/ entertainment / 10
Dating/Matchmaker services / 11
Other [RECORD VERBATIM] / 12
6.5 [CODE 1 OR 2 @ 6.1] Was it a (were they) single purchase(s) or an ongoing subscription service(s)? SINGLE
Ongoing / 2
Both / 3
Don’t know / 98
6.6 [ONGOING ONLY, IE CODE 2 or 3 ABOVE] Was it clear how often the ongoing service(s) would be received?
No / 0
Don’t know / 98
6.7 [CODE 1 OR 2 @ 6.1] When did you find out the actual total cost of the service(s)? [IF MULTI SERVICE IE CODE 2 @6.1] Anything else? DO NOT READ OUT, MULTI
When the service was requested / 2
Confirmation message / 3
When you received the bill / 4
Never found out / 5
Other [RECORD VERBATIM] / 6
6.8 [ONGOING ONLY, IE CODE 2 OR 3 @ 6.5] Was there any information provided on how to cancel the ongoing service(s)?
No / 0
Don’t know / 98
Other [RECORD VERBATIM] / 2
6.9 [ONGOING ONLY, IE CODE 2 OR 3 @ 6.5] Have any SMS promotion or advertising messages been received from the provider(s) or related providers of the ongoing service(s)?
No / 0
Don’t know / 98
6.10 [CODE 1 ABOVE] Did you agree to receive these messages?
No / 0
Don’t know / 98
6.11 [CODE 1 OR 2 @ 6.1] Have you made a complaint about a SMS service you have purchased or subscribed to, in the last 12 months?
No / 0
Don’t know / 98
6.12 [CODE 1 ABOVE] What was the complaint about/related to? [IF MORE THAN ONE COMPLAINT, ASK FOR MOST RECENT]
Unable to stop service / 2
Nature of the service / 3
Other [RECORD VERBATIM] / 4
6.13 [CODE 0 & 98 @ 6.11] If you had a complaint about a premium SMS service, who would you complain to?
[CODE 1 @ 6.11] Who did you complain to? [IF MULTIPLE, INDICATE THAT WE ARE INTERESTED IN MOST RECENT EXAMPLE]
DO NOT READ OUT, MULTI