Editor’s Note: In this monthly feature, RCR Wireless News talks to retail managers across the country to get a first-hand view of what’s hot in wireless.
Regional wireless operator Cellular South in March launched an initiative to integrate its interactive online shopping experience with its in-store experience so that the online experience mimics the retail experience. The carrier, based in Ridgeland, Miss., counts more than 700,000 subscribers, offering service in the southeast. The carrier prides itself in being more nimble than its nationwide counterparts. It was the first company to roll out Ontela’s photo application and it is now testing a wireless wallet application. Brian Caraway, VP of sales, talked with RCR Wireless News.
What are the most popular devices?
Our customers tend to gravitate toward what is new and what provides them with functionality so we are seeing growing interest in smartphones and specifically the BlackBerry Pearl. For those who are interested in form and function, this device appeals to both groups. It’s a fully functional PDA that truly has a voice-centric appearance so it breaks through that barrier. We’ve been offering BlackBerries for over two years now and with each model, the sales are incremental, there is a new segment of users they appeal to.
What accessories are people buying?
Bluetooth accessories remain very popular. The growth in that segment is still continuing, particularly as the media and state governments focus more on safety and regulating the use of wireless devices in automobiles. We’re also seeing some interesting trends in covers and cases. More and more, our customers want to customize and update the appearance of their phones, and in some cases very frequently. We’re seeing more of that in the last few months. Wireless devices are increasingly an extension of people’s personalities.
What plans are people buying?
Our most popular plans remain our unlimited plans. Unlimited is new to much of the industry; we’ve had versions since 2001. We’ve had a nationwide version since late in 2007, several months before we saw our competitors come out with unlimited. Our customers on average talk about two times as much as the average wireless user because we’ve made them available for so long now. Once they experience the freedom and worry-free nature of an unlimited plan it’s very difficult to go back to a limited plan. More than 35% of our customer base has given up their landline phone.
What data add-ons are customers interested in?
The most popular continues to be text messaging, and with voice we offer unlimited text-messaging plans. Our customers text six times as much as average wireless users. There is certainly a growing awareness and need for mobile email and Internet access as smartphones become more mainstream and we’re seeing rapid growth in those categories.
What trends do you expect for the rest of ’08?
The overall dependence on wireless devices will continue; people will continue to rely more on wireless and less on landline. The growth of data will be absolutely explosive. We saw triple-digit growth last year and we almost saw triple-digit growth by quarter sequentially. We are in the early stages of wireless data. Anywhere access to the Internet and e-mail allows people to be more efficient, more productive and in many cases have more fun. Customers are looking to do more with their devices, and the advances in technology and the growing availability of smartphones are going to facilitate that continued interest.
