Conceptual Model of MSQ

Based on the findings, a model of mobile service quality (MSQ) was constructed . The model depicts the range of dimensions that respondents used to evaluate the services. Before explaining the model, two aspects that are not depicted in the figure will be briefly discussed: (1) The Internet as a comparison standard, and (2) the impact of phones and network on m-service quality.

The main comparison standard against which the services were evaluated was the wired Internet. In the beginning, consumers had expected the Internet to be available on their mobile phones and they were disappointed. However, after having lowered their expectations, new and improved services even pleasantly surprised them. Despite the improvements, the developers of mobile services stressed their dissatisfaction with the term 'mobile Internet,' since it gives consumers the wrong impression . They prefer the more neutral term mobile digital service .

Service quality perceptions were found to vary depending on the phone and network. Phones with GPRS were far superior to the first generation of WAP phones. These factors are outside the control of the service provider but necessary to take into account as a moderating factor in future studies. Some problems that consumers perceive as important and relate to the provider are, in fact, outside the provider's control. Small displays, cumbersome input and limited bandwidth create challenges for service designers. However, all providers face the same limitations and challenges to design individual solutions that make the services stand out from competitors ' offerings.

The model of mobile service quality (MSQ) is presented in Figure 5-1. Ten (10) dimensions that consumers use to evaluate MSQ were identified in the data. Other dimensions might become relevant in the future as mobile services develop. Since consumers used the wired Internet as a comparison standard, mobile service quality dimensions closely resembled those found in e-service studies. The dimensions that fit the data were: service content, access, ease of navigation, ease of dialogue, aesthetics, reliability, personalization, responsiveness, security/privacy and price knowledge. All consumers did not use all ten dimensions and the importance of dimensions is likely to vary between services. Consumers with less experience of m-services used fewer criteria. Words like display, speed, cost and lack of content were most frequently mentioned in connection to mobile service quality.

Figure 5-1: MSQ-model

It is important to note that the MSQ model is a preliminary framework that needs to be further tested and developed. Compared to e-SQ, we added two new dimensions, content and ease of dialogue, whereas efficiency, flexibility and trust were removed. High performance on several dimensions makes the service efficient to use, and we suggest that it should be included and tested as a second order dimension in future studies. Flexibility, as defined by Zeithaml et al. (2000), did not fit the data, because of the nonexistence of m-commerce. At the time of the interviews, there were also few possibilities to use the mobile phone as a wallet (flexibility of payment). The few respondents who had made purchases with their phone were not satisfied and perceived other service alternatives to be more convenient . According to one of the experts, a study of users' expectations of mobile services in 2001 also revealed that using the phone as a method of payment ranked as only the eighth most important feature for consumers.

Assurance and trust were incorporated into the dimensions of reliability and security/ privacy. One reason was that the same word in the language is used for assurance, trust and reliability. Another reason was that the consumers in our study were not concerned about these dimensions. Trust becomes important mainly when violated and, so far, the biggest problem has been a small number of SMS messages that have lured mobile phone owners to call expensive service numbers , in the belief that they are calling a friend or a free number.

Mobile services are less complex than wired e-services and perceptual attributes were identified only for five dimensions: content, access, ease of navigation, ease of dialogue, and service reliability. Mobility and spontaneity were identified as drivers of mobile service usage but they also have an impact on the content consumers desire .

Perceived convenience in comparison with alternatives was identified as a higher order dimension. It is both a driver and a benefit of using mobile services, but we do not consider it a service quality dimension per se . When the consumer is on the move the mobile phone may be the only way to access the required service quickly and conveniently. We believe that high quality on all dimensions add to the convenience of using the service, but in the study particularly three dimensions were perceived as important drivers: access, ease of navigation, and ease of dialogue. The perceived convenience of using the mobile service, as well as the perceived overall quality of it, affect whether the consumer will use it repeatedly in the future.

Next , the 10 mobile service quality dimensions are discussed in more detail. Quotes from the interviews are used for illustration. The dimensions that respondents talked the most about are covered in more detail. However, it may not reflect the overall importance of the dimension, which varies between services.

Content

Content was identified as the core of m-SQ and it affects how the other dimensions are evaluated. Although not included in Zeithaml et al.'s e-SQ model, it has been considered important for content-based services (van Riel et al., 2001; Gummerus et al., 2004). If there is no relevant content, consumers will not use the service and the other dimensions become irrelevant. When the content is of no value, the zone of tolerance of the other dimensions also become narrower. 'Why wait for the long dial-up, if there is nothing of real interest waiting when finally connected?' (Respondent 1)

Lack of content has been one of the problems with WAP. There are not enough appealing services, among other things, discontent among content providers regarding the sharing of profits with telephone operators, and the inherent difficulties of constructing a WAP site compared to a wired Internet or I-Mode site (see Krishnamurthy for a comparison of WAP with I-Mode). According to a study by the Finnish statistics bureau , Tilastokeskus (http://www.tilastokeskus.fi, 19.6.2002), 68% of the respondents mentioned lack of content as the main reason for not using mobile services. A study by Accenture (in Greengard, 2002) revealed that more than 50% of the respondents saw no compelling reason to use wireless services. This was echoed in the present study. The interviews showed that m-service content lags behind alternatives in perceived value, defined as price compared to outcome. 'There are very few services that I would be ready to pay for, since I can get the information from other sources.' (Respondent 11)

The respondents' expectations had become more realistic with increased experience and word-of-mouth from others. They were aware that many service providers lacked the resources for continuous updates and improvements. M-services were not their first choice of service channel but in some situations, it was the only available alternative. Although their expectations had been lowered, they were not prepared to pay for below- standard services.

'If a newspaper promises that it will deliver the latest news, it should do it. I do not expect much from WAP right now. In those rare situations where I use the phone, I am satisfied with little. Usually, I have no option.' (Respondent 2)

Two main categories of service content were identified: utility and hedonic services. Utility services provide fast answers to specific problems, like 'What's the weather?' or 'I missed the train; book me on the next departure .' Hedonic services (Holbrook & Hirschman, 1982), such as entertainment-focused sites, offer games , gossip or sport results that are useful for 'killing time.' They offer experiential value to consumers in the form of entertainment, escapism and enjoyment (Mathwick et al., 2001). Utility and hedonic m-services are perceived as valuable when they can be used on the move, immediately and anywhere . The value of utility content is related to how time- sensitive the service is.

Utility Services

When consumers in general are asked what m-services they are interested in, utility services score highly. A study by the market research company Taloustutkimus (http:/ /www.taloustutkimus.fi, 2002) showed that a utility service, Finders, was the most desired mobile service by Finnish consumers, and 83% of the respondents perceived it as useful. Other services perceived as useful were: safety services 68% (location-based services if injured or lost), other location-based services 67%, reminders 65% and e-mail 61% . All are utility services that consumers need when on the move and for which the mobile phone has a competitive advantage over alternative service channels. In the current study, consumers mentioned specifically the potential usefulness of locationbased services.

Location-Based Services

At the time of the study, positioning or location-based services could only be used with more advanced phone models. Perhaps because of this, all consumers in our study were not aware of existing services. A couple of respondents had used the telecommunication company Sonera's SMS-location based service 'Where Am I?' which gives a fairly accurate location of the user . The respondents also mentioned a need for safety services (if injured) and an interest in event-guides that are narrowed down to the most relevant events within the area.

Location information can be input manually by the user or detected by various positioning methods (Nokia, 2001; Toriyama & Domae, 2003). A user who is lost in the city could get directions, or the bus schedule for a particular bus stop, through the mobile phone. The importance of positioning services is expected to grow. According to the Mobile Location Services and Technologies report from Analysys (724 Solutions, 2002), the global subscriber base for mobile location services is forecast to exceed 680 million users by 2006, representing 70% mobile users. These services must not only be very precise, they must be easy to use and very concrete. They are often used under stress and the usability must be effortless. Desired expectations for these services are high and difficult to fulfill with the current displays and technology.

'As a fairly average person I would not have much use for longitude and latitude coordinates. I need to spot myself on a map that is clear and very accurate. It would be great to have it in color that gives it more contrast. And arrows that tell me in which direction to go. A street name does not tell me much in a new city either.' (Respondent 3)

There have been fears that service providers will invade consumer privacy with location-based services. Such concerns were not found among the respondents who trust their service providers. Within the European Union, only permission based, opt-in, marketing messages are allowed to both wired and wireless devices.

Hedonic Services

Entertainment services are much used and form an important service category. For example, the most successful feature of the I-Mode has been games. Although surveys show that consumers look for utility services, it is not the whole truth. One national study of consumer preferences ranked information as the second and entertainment as only the eighth most important feature of mobile services, whereas, in reality, entertainment brings in most users and revenues , indicating that people want to appear more sensible when answering surveys.

We found similar contradictions in our study. The respondents expressed a high interest in information services but spent the majority of their time while connected on entertainment. The phone is a very personal item and users particularly enjoy customizing it with different logos and ring tones.

Time Sensitiveness and Spontaneity of Mobile Services

Mobility and spontaneity are key words for mobile services. An average user carries the phone everywhere and always keeps it switched on. It is ready to use almost immediately. Freshness of content at a particular moment, such as when needing the latest weather report, or a breaking financial news story, is essential for using the mobile channel. M- services are not used if an available service alternative can offer the same information and better quality. Three quotes illustrate users' experiences: 'Services that are time- sensitive are great. Information that you can wait for, or get from the Internet at home, is totally useless.' (Respondent 1) 'I would much rather use a computer if I have one nearby, because I can find so much more information.' (Respondent 7) 'Timetables are something that I never have around me when I need them. That is the greatest feature of mobile services. They are always there when you need them.' (Respondent 11)

Service providers need to ensure that time-sensitive services work perfectly . Since they are needed right away, users will have less tolerance for difficulties in using them. Hence, easy usability, including access and ease of navigation are crucial. M-services are handy for buying a ticket that the consumer needs immediately, whereas shopping for goods can be handled more conveniently through a computer that offers richer information and a better display of goods.

Access

A major problem with WAP services seems to have been access. Factors that in particular had frustrated the respondents were problems with the configuration setting and slow dial-up. Much frustration occurred when not being able to effortlessly access a service.

Configuration Settings

The road from purchasing a phone to actually using it is long and complicated, and takes some effort (Pietil inen, 2001). Before using a mobile service, the phone needs to be configured. This was mentioned as one of the main reasons why the respondents did not like to use m-services. According to one of the experts, it has been estimated that twothirds of the owners of WAP/GPRS-enabled phones in Finland have not configured their phones. The respondents had also expected the services to be much easier to take into use.

The first step in configuring the phone is finding out which services the consumer wishes to use - most respondents said that they look for interesting services on the Internet and in printed media. Most users start with the portal of the network provider, which usually offers a selection of links to various services. If consumers want to use other services, they need to get the IP number, which is often found on the provider's Internet site. Detailed instructions for the configuration are given on the site, but many perceive the process as unnecessarily long and complicated. One respondent summed up the general opinion:

'In the first case, it is totally stupid that you need to do all the configurations before you can use the service. That is a big disadvantage . You need to be able to access the traditional Internet if you want to use the mobile services. For those who are not technologically very bright, it is almost impossible to get as far as actually using the service. My parents could never do it.' (Respondent 10)

Although this might be a slight overstatement, the process did seem to demand too much effort for many consumers. Two of the respondents had not bothered to configure their phones two to three months after purchasing it, even though they had been fairly regular users earlier. Most respondents desired that their phones would be ready to use when they walk out from the store, and that all services would be accessible with the same settings. Consumers have little use of WAP/GPRS-enabled phones if they realize during camping trek that a particular service is needed but cannot be used because it has not been configured earlier. Some service providers have made configuration a little bit easier and configurations can be received by sending an SMS. However, consumers still need the information on where to send the SMS, information they might not have when moving about.

Dial-Up Speed

Speed is generally seen as one of the main reasons why mobile services have not succeeded. Many respondents claimed that they were frustrated with the lack of speed. Dial-up appears to be a bigger problem than navigation. At least in the beginning, accessing the services took too long. Consumers' service expectations were set by the time it took to access an alternative service.

To a large extent, speed depends on the type of phone. Many respondents were still using the first generation of WAP-enabled mobile phones. According to these consumers, the dial-up had lasted up to a minute when the services were first introduced. Following bad reviews of WAP in the media, the respondents had lowered their expectations. In a few cases they were even positively surprised. 'It is surprisingly fast, at least compared to what I thought it would be like.' (Respondent 8)

However, most thought that the time it takes to access a service should be a lot shorter. Today, consumers use fast broadband Internet access as the comparison standard, not slower modems. Compared to WAP, the new GPRS telephones are always connected. It took less than 10 seconds to access a service with a GPRS-enabled Nokia 8310.

Ease of Navigation

Along with access, ease of navigation has been one of the major usability problems in mobile services. According to many respondents, the biggest weakness is the user interface. Mobile phones have comparatively small displays, which sets extra pressure on the simplicity and user friendliness of services. Problems of navigation in m-services cannot be blamed only on the inexperience of users. For example, one study revealed that the improvement in user success rates in finding information was surprisingly low after a week of usage (Nielsen & Ramsay, 2000). According to those in our sample who had used several phone types, the display size and different technical solutions in the phone have a major impact on navigation and how the service performs .

Mobility, spontaneity and immediacy give mobile services an edge over service alternatives, but the edge is lost if the user cannot efficiently navigate on the site. Consumers' desired service is that it should be fast and effortless to use. In our study, especially the respondents who paid a fee per minute, had a very narrow zone of tolerance for the time it took to navigate. The main problems of navigation were found to be the structure of the site , labeling of services and search functions .

Structure of the Site

The menus of mobile services are not very comprehensive since the interface shows only four to six rows of text on most phones. A well-structured user interface can alleviate many problems. According to the respondents, the site hierarchy should be limited to a maximum of four to five levels. Furthermore, page titles should clearly indicate the position of the page within the site structure. Many sites appear to have been quickly constructed and are perceived as confusing. Going back and forth between menus was perceived as extremely frustrating. If going the wrong way it can be difficult to find one's way back to the original place. A minute-based fee further increases consumer irritation with badly structured sites. Usability could be improved by a personalization of the services, at least in portals where the most often used links could be placed first.

Labeling

Labeling of services on the site also caused consumer frustration. It is often not clear what kind of information can be found when clicking on a link. Besides unclear wording, the headings are often ranked in a confusing order. Respondents suggested that links be ranked according to how much they are used, or in some cases alphabetically . One respondent summed the confusion that poorly planned sites cause with the following example: 'It's like starting the TV news with the weather. Totally opposite of what the viewer expects.' (Respondent 3)

Respondents wanted intuitive labeling and structuring of the services. Clever titles may sound good to designers, but to users it is just one more barrier between them and the information they are looking for. Consistent labeling for sections and functions is essential for both first-time visitors and returning visitors , since it speeds up navigation.

Search Functions

Many respondents mentioned difficulties in finding what they need with the mobile phone. Although there might be services on offer, consumers are not aware of them. Past research also shows that consumers have become used to search engines on the wired Internet and a significantly large group of mobile users look for a search function before anything else (Global Mobile Suppliers Association, 2001). Our respondents were used to finding almost everything they need on the Internet with the help of effective search engines, and they compared mobile services to these. There are some search engines for mobile phones, but the selection of services was perceived as limited. Some respondents, who had lowered their expectations to fit the limitations of the mobile phones, felt that the search-engines worked fairly well.

However, all available services are not found with search engines. The service provider must write so-called 'tags' in the mark-up language, in order to make the site noticeable for search engines. Help functions are also needed for mobile services. The respondents expected help functions but m-services often lack them.

Ease of Dialogue

The first thing that many respondents pointed out was that the displays were much too small. We therefore added the service quality dimension ease of dialogue - how easy it is for the consumer to read and insert data. Their desired expectations of interaction-based services were based on personal needs - e.g., they wanted practical e-mail services. The problems that need to be solved in order to improve the ease of dialogue are related to length and input of text .

Length of Text

When consumers have finally managed to navigate to the information they need, the next problem is reading from the screen. Except for some newer phone models, the displays are very small. They normally display five to six lines of text, consisting of up to around 20 characters per line. Compared to computer screens the displays are tiny. For example, the consulting firm Accenture (http://www.accenture.fi, 2002) found that 31% of Finnish users find it difficult to read from the screens and the figures are even higher in other countries , Germany 64% and Japan 51%. Some claim that the phones in Japan, which show 10 lines of text, have contributed to the success of the I-Mode (Schwartz, 2001). Most respondents in our study did not want to read a lot of text on their mobile phone. Scrolling through page after page of small snippets of text is tiresome and irritating .

The adequate length of the text is influenced by the disposable time of the user. The less time he has, the faster he wants to find the information. Therefore, it is important that service providers hire people who are good writers. They must be able to express themselves in a minimum word count, to cut it short. Currently, the respondents were looking mainly for phone numbers. If wanting to get more information, they rather used the traditional Internet with a desktop monitor. Another option, preferred by some respondents, was connecting a personal notebook to the Internet with the help of a telephone and then using traditional Internet services.

Input of Text

Typing in long words is both time-consuming and frustrating. Respondents said that this is something that makes them passive users of many services like m-banking, or mshopping, where name, password, date, location, etc., need to be typed in. In many cases, it takes too much time and effort and they perceive the alternatives, like calling up the provider, which is faster and more convenient. The respondents were wary of all services that need much input. For example, many desired practical solutions to enable fast and effortless e-mail composition. An example is paying for goods or services with the mobile phone. Respondents said that if they were going to buy something with the phone it had to be easy - easier than other options. All respondents desired that the hassle of filling in personal information should be avoided and confirming a payment should work with a few clicks.

In the future it should be easier to shop with a mobile phone, since the phone's SIM-card contains information about the user's name and postal address. This would reduce the amount of text that the consumer has to insert for each transaction. It is already possible to charge the user's telephone bill directly and many respondents mentioned the simplicity of buying signals and logos by sending an SMS-message to the service provider. Sites will also need to provide multiple payment options including credit, debit and new electronic payment forms such as micro payments that facilitate transactions (Barnet, Hodges & Wiltshire, 2001). Consumers may also get used to writing with small devices. According to a report in the Wall Street Journal (Faiola, 2004, A5), 'Japanese have grown so skilled at writing e- mails on cellphones that many now find it simpler than using the computer [key] boards .'

Aesthetics

Aesthetics was currently lacking in mobile services, and statements like, 'It is ridiculous, you can't do anything with a display as small as that' seemed to be the general attitude. Since consumers understand the limitations of current services, they desired a very simple and clean layout, and most were disturbed by logos.

'A service is good if there are no extra advertisements, logos and stuff. The technology sets the standards for what can be done. It is impossible to make me go, 'Wow, that's nice!' As it is now, it is only disturbing . Keep it simple and I'm happy.' (Respondent 9)

Nonetheless, aesthetics have improved with the new color displays. They are much more pleasant for the eye. Therefore, expectations are likely to change when more consumers switch to newer phone models.

'It's like comparing black and white TV with color TV. Or why are all advertisements in newspapers in color? It would be cheaper to have them in black and white. People are very visual and a lot is about color and image.' (Respondent 3)

According to the experts, a problem for designers is that there are many different browsers (30+) on the market, and logos and menus are displayed differently depending on the browser. In some cases, a heading can be displayed on two lines instead of one and the logos are not displayed at all. Few users understand or tolerate this.

Reliability

The consumers raised several concerns regarding reliability. The two most common concerns were the functionality of the site and the infrastructure of the service provider. Overall, reliability has a major impact on service quality evaluation. Some services are particularly sensitive to failures, such as m-commerce sites for bookings and other transactions. The desired level of service quality is high and not much is allowed to go wrong. Major concerns were that the sites were not running and experiencing broken links .

Site Running

Consumers want sites that are available and running all the time. Those who had used WAP from the beginning were used to problems and seemed to find deficiencies more acceptable. Expectations were higher for time-sensitive services and for well-known services, since they are expected to have the resources to make everything work.

A problem that was experienced by many respondents was that they do not know why the site does not work. The problem may be related to the telephone, the gateway, or the operator. Users might blame the service provider, although the problem resides in the network. According to the experts and other sources (Kallevilayil, 2001), this is a constant problem for service developers.

Working Links

Some respondents said that broken links, i.e., links that do not lead anywhere, are the most frustrating thing with WAP-services. It might seem that being unable to load a menu or the start-page would do more harm, but long journeys that lead to dead ends were perceived as worse . Mobile services need to be quick and effortless to use.

Personalization

The experts believed that the mobile phone as a personal possession should be emphasized more. People want their phones to be unique, their own individual item. This is currently expressed through individual ring tones. A mobile phone is usually owned and used by only one individual, which allows the user to configure unique preferences. This is believed to be an advantage for service providers. Once an application is personalized, the user is less likely to switch providers (Mobilocity, 2000).

The consumers felt that personalization was a good thing as long as it was user-driven, not company-driven, but it was not perceived as important for overall MSQ today. In general, the respondents did not emphasize it as much as the literature or experts suggest that they should. Only a few respondents perceived that personalization of services adds value. Some portals offer customized solutions and personal links that make it easier for consumers to find their way around. The respondents who had used such services were satisfied with them.

In general, service developers prefer portals that provide a wide range of content and services. Although they can be personalized, they cannot be customized per se . Two respondents desired more customized services. Some sites were perceived as being too broad. Instead of visiting a portal for sport in general they would like to go directly to, say English Premier League Football. Thereby the content could be much deeper, focusing on a particular area.

Security/Privacy

Wireless security includes factors such as the security of the actual transmission, trust in that the transaction is made with the intended party, security if the phone is lost or stolen (Gillick & Venderhoof, 2000), and security against scams where consumers pay expensive fees for non-existent services. Though full security is impossible to achieve, WAP and other mobile services are said to be more secure than the traditional Internet. Security is described as one of the decisive factors for the success of m-commerce (Cross, 2001), but the issue is two-folded. Everyone demands security, but if passwords and registrations are required to use the services, one of the mobile services' greatest advantages will disappear.

Our respondents addressed the need for secure services but they did not perceive it as a major issue in m-services. This may be because they had utilized few security-sensitive services. Their biggest fear was losing their telephone, which in fact is one of the biggest security problems in m-commerce (Cross, 2001). The respondents believed that the mobile Internet is as safe as the traditional Internet and those who were wary of security issues would not make purchases through either channel. All respondents also related brand image to perceived security. Dealing with a company that they trust is perceived as safer.

All respondents raised issues of passwords and codes. M-services, such as banking, cannot be used whenever or wherever since most people do not carry the needed codes with them all the time. The respondents stressed that they want solutions with one single password for all services. They are prepared to give out personal information but they want to feel secure that it will not be used for the wrong purposes. Written agreements made them feel more confident. In general, they had confidence in the Finnish legislation for data privacy, although some had experienced problems. One respondent was very frustrated with a network operator since it had continued to send him advertisements and reminders as SMS-messages even though he had asked them to stop. Everyone was familiar with spam-mails on the traditional Internet, and this issue was seen as a nightmare for owners of mobile phones. Generally, being harassed with messages sent to one's phone is worse than those sent to someone on the Internet. 'I see the mobile phone as a part of my private sphere and I get very, very annoyed if it starts beeping all the time.' (Respondent 2)

Four main security features were identified by experts as important to create trust in mservices. These were: (1) a user-specific device, i.e., only the owner can use the phone for transactions, (2) secure networks, electronic messages/transactions that are sent must not be visible to others, (3) trust in general, that both parties can be certain of each others identity, and (4) evidence, i.e., a record of transactions.

Responsiveness

If a response is not received immediately, it makes the consumer doubt that the transaction has been made and he may repeat it needlessly. Respondents mentioned examples of bookings being made but not received. Responsiveness affects the perceived reliability of and trust towards the service provider.

If a transaction has been made, or a registration filled out, it has to be confirmed. The respondents expected this to happen immediately. When making transactions, they were prepared to make more clicks to confirm the action. Increased assurance was preferred over faster navigation. Banking services like Nordea's 'Solo' were perceived as trustworthy since all completed payments can be seen in one section of the menu.

Error handling and feedback are also related to responsiveness. When the users are unsure of what has caused a problem, they are also uncertain of how to proceed. Error messages need to be clear and ought to include the initial problem and a proposed solution to solve it.

Price Knowledge

Mobile services have been considered expensive. Slow dial-up, complicated navigation and high costs per minute characterized early m-services. Therefore, transparent pricing is even more important for m-services than it is for the traditional Internet. Users want to be certain of how much they are being charged for the service. Respondents also said that they wanted to track the cost of usage. If links within a site lead to applications that will be charged for separately, the user must be told. Two quotes illustrate user perceptions:

'It's good that the cost for using the service is mentioned at the start page. Like this newspaper, that charges 63 cent for three hours of usage.' (Respondent 8)

'When I was in Stockholm last time on a business trip, I constantly checked my mail with the phone. The bill ended up being 100 Euro for a couple of days quite a shock .' (Respondent 1)

As expected, the perceived high cost of WAP services was a barrier to usage and affected expectations. Consumers who had a flat rate payment, i.e., a fixed monthly fee for practically unlimited usage, were heavier users and paid less attention to the price. Many respondents said that although some services perform pleasingly, they do not find them valuable because of the high price.

It has been said that charging a flat rate is the only way to attract users. Currently, usage of GPRS in Finland incurs no additional cost up to a certain amount of kilobytes, which is so high that even heavy users should not exceed it.