| The FBI uses Criminal Profilers to narrow | | | | users with household annual incomes in |
| down suspects.....Hospitals and clinics use | | | | excess of $100,000.Surprisingly, the study |
| heart profilers to diagnose and treat heart | | | | also showed users of Nextel were four times |
| ailments.....And now, it appears the cell | | | | more likely to have their cell phone bills |
| phone industry is getting into the act of | | | | paid by |
| profiling its subscribers.M:Metrics, a | | | | |
| company that measures consumer consumption of | | | | their employer.If your a Verizon or Cingular |
| mobile content and applications, | | | | user, chances are you're 45 years old, or |
| | | | older. In fact, according to the M:Metrics |
| has recently released a benchmark study to | | | | |
| help determine the typical users of each | | | | survey, 55.8% of these network subscribers |
| major carrier."Our data shows that each | | | | are retirement age, or older.Generally, users |
| carrier attracts its own demographic, which | | | | of Verizon or Cingular are much less likely |
| correlates with the consumption of | | | | to use even the most basic services. The |
| | | | study |
| mobile content," responds Seamus McAteer, | | | | |
| M:Medtric's senior analyst and chief product | | | | showed only a little more than 10% of older |
| architect.In other words, M:Metrics feels | | | | users sent text messages in the three month |
| their studies show a pattern in the typical | | | | period of the study.The Study's Findings on |
| wireless user's age and income, compared to | | | | Prepaid Carriers:Tracfone and Virgin Mobile, |
| how often mobile content is downloaded from | | | | both prepaid cell phone service providers, |
| the internet.The Study's Finding on Major | | | | were also named in the study. |
| Carriers: | | | | |
| | | | The survey showed subscribers of the two |
| | | | prepaid networks spent roughly the same |
| | | | amount |
| Both Sprint and T-Mobile have the highest | | | | |
| percentage of young carriers between the ages | | | | on calling plans, and had simular household |
| of 18 to | | | | incomes.But, the survey showed there was a |
| | | | vast difference in the users of the two |
| 34. This age group is also responsible for | | | | networks. Virgin Mobile's phones |
| downloading the most mobile content. Both | | | | |
| carriers showed | | | | are geared towards young teens, generally 13 |
| | | | to 17 years old. While Tracfone tends to |
| a higher than average content consumption, | | | | draw the older user (ages 45 and older) |
| particularly in the download of games and | | | | |
| photo/text messaging.For instance, if you are | | | | who use the prepaid phone for |
| a male, in your late teens, and frequently | | | | emergencies.Virgin Mobile users also tend to |
| downloads games on your cell phone, | | | | download much more mobile applications than |
| | | | Tracfone subscribers. In a typical |
| you're twice as likely to have chosen Sprint | | | | |
| as your phone's service carrier.Nextel users | | | | month, only about 2% of Tracfone users opt |
| are even more defined. The study showed the | | | | to download ringtones, compared to about 20% |
| majority of subscribers to this carrier are | | | | of Virgin Mobile |
| | | | |
| between the ages of 35 and 44, and male. | | | | customers.Sandra Landwehr is the webmaster |
| Nextel was also the carrier with the highest | | | | of The-Cell-Phone-Advisor.com, a consumer |
| percentage of | | | | awareness site that offers REAL help in |
| | | | finding your cell phone plan and carrier. |