Survey: Home is where the wireless data card is

Many people aren’t leaving home when it comes to accessing the Internet using a wireless data card, according to a new report by Nielsen Mobile.
Wireless data cards, gadgets that allow laptop and PC users to connect to the Internet using a cellular network, are popular with business travelers but are now fast becoming a popular way to access the Internet at home.
“Data cards aren’t just for road warriors but also for couch and kitchen warriors,” Nic Covey, Nielsen Mobile director of insights, said in a press release.
As of the second quarter of this year, Nielsen Mobile reports there are more than 13 million wireless data card users in the United States. More than half of the cards were bought within the past 12 months.
The research firm surveyed 1,300 mobile data card users and 43% reported they most often use their data card at home. Fifteen percent say they use the card at work and 21% head outdoors. Nine percent report they use the card while commuting.
But respondents are not ready to solely use the data cards for Internet service at home. Virtually all of those surveyed – more than 99% – reported to Nielsen Mobile they also subscribe to home Internet, and the data cards typically augment high-speed home service.
Covey said as carriers continue to promote mobile data cards and expand network coverage, some consumers will consider the cards as an alternative to their home Internet service providers.
“Consumers don’t like to pay for the same thing twice,” Covey said. “It’s the next frontier of cord cutting.”
Verizon Wireless and Sprint Nextel Corp. offer data cards from as little as $50 to as much as $130. Prices are based on discounts by entering into a two-year contract. With a two-year contract with AT&T Mobility, the nation’s largest wireless carrier, the operator offers rebates for a free refurbished card or $50 for a new one. Nielsen Mobile reports consumers spent an average of $65 on their data card, excluding service costs.