In-Stat: Strong Interest by US Businesses in 3G Service; Mid-Sized Companies Have Greatest Reliance on Wireless

In-Stat has issued a new report that finds "nearly 5% of employees in US companies report that they have already adopted 3G services and an additional 15% to 20% would be likely to do so. In addition, a recent survey of over 1,000 business users revealed that mid-sized companies – those with 100 to 1000 employees – have the greatest penetration of wireless among their workforces and spend the most on mobile communication."

David Chamberlain at In-Stat said, “Overall, business users continue to prove themselves to be lucrative customers for mobile carriers, with reported monthly spending of nearly $90 per user, which is approximately double that of the Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) reported by carriers. Spending by mid-sized companies on mobile data services – both cellular and Wi-Fi – is at least 15% higher than companies of other sizes." Key findings include:

• Nearly 30% of employees surveyed indicated they would like to use a mobile email device. Current usage is under 15% among respondents.
• Among Wi-Fi users who pay for access, mean monthly spending for all business sizes is roughly $40 per month.
• About 10% of respondents who have monthly subscriptions to Wi-Fi also use pay-per-usage hotspots, causing unforeseen telecommunication expenses for their companies.
• Many businesses and employees place a high premium on Internet access, with a large number spending as much or more for Wi-Fi as they spend on monthly cellular bills.