New iGR Study Focuses on Cell phone Reception and Femtocells

The smartphone phenomena may be at its peak, however their popularity doesn’t necessary translate into 100 percent satisfied customers. According to a new U.S. consumer survey conducted by the iGR, when it comes to voice network quality, a significant number of customers are not completely satisfied by their mobile operator’s service. Thus, this new market research report, which is titled Residential Femtocells: Impact on Carrier Grades, basically focuses on mobile operator's service and the impact and usage of femtocells.

The survey which was conducted in May 2012 took into account the feedback of more than 1,000 U.S. consumers and the questions mainly deal with overall wireless service experience, quality of in-home voice reception and a consumer’s awareness of residential femtocells. Sixty-five percent of those questioned deemed their experience "excellent" or "very good" in thier in-home cellular voice reception. Surprisingly, approximately 47 percent of consumers had no clue about femtocells and a minuscule two percent of respondents were found to be using a femtocell. Also, 57 percent of respondents admitted that they would increase their carrier rating, if they were provided a femtocell device.

"While many people are not aware of residential femtocells, the fact is that many people have poor or marginal in-home cellular coverage," said Iain Gillott, president and founder of iGR, a market research consultancy focused on the wireless and mobile industry. "In-home coverage is one of the main ways consumers measure the 'quality' of the cellular network and assess the relative value for money. IGR’s latest research finds that if a mobile operator were to offer residential femtocells, they could significantly improve their rating in the eyes of the consumer, potentially moving from a 'B' to a 'B+' or an A."

The new report can be purchased and downloaded directly from iGR's website.