Behavior analysis on mobile-carrier choice considering Mobile Virtual Network Operators

Due to severe competitive conditions in the mobile phone market, there are a few differences in relation to charges, phones and optional services provided by three major mobile-carriers: docomo, au and SoftBank. Three major mobile-carriers started selling SIM (Subscriber Identity Module Card)-free phones in May, 2015. And new Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) have entered the mobile phone market as new competitors. We analyzed the change of the preference for three major mobile-carriers vs. MVNOs. This paper presents the results based on the original market research survey data. We classify customers in two segments: three major-carrier customers and MVNO customers. We show the characteristics of two customer segments to understand the future demand of mobile carriers from the viewpoints of decision-making factors and satisfaction levels for mobile carriers.