Franklin Pierce College
Cellular Service
Market Research Study
Prepared by:
James Parrott
Greg Desmarais
Anthony Giovanangelo
Introduction





There are many cellular phone service providers
available around the United States
When students, faculty, and staff come to Franklin Pierce
College they hope that their cell phone will have service
on campus
Since cell phones are a vital part of the lives of many
students, faculty, and staff on campus, we have taken
the initiative to find out what services are most popular
Our purpose is to identify if there is a demand for
another cellular service tower on campus
Research will help to improve the communication needs
of students, faculty, and staff with poor service
Problem Statement

Research is necessary to determine if
there is a demand from the Franklin Pierce
College community for another cellular
service tower on campus, other than the
current U.S. Cellular provider.
Research Objectives

1. Identify what cellular service provider is the
most popular on campus.

2. Identify if students, faculty, or staff would be
willing to switch service providers if alternatives
were available.

3. Identify which alternate provider the FPC
community would prefer to have access to on
campus.
Methodology

Problem Identification
– Large proportion of the Franklin Pierce College community had
poor cellular phone service
– Identified the problem through personal experiences and input
from other FPC students
– Met with Marion Stone of Information Technology Department
with proposal for the research study

Development of Survey
– After multiple drafts, survey was critiqued by both Dr. Little and
the rest of the Market Research class
– Purpose of survey was to determine if in fact there was a
demand for another cellular service tower on campus other than
the exist U.S. Cellular tower.
Methodology (cont.)

Definition of Population
– Students, faculty, and staff of the Franklin Pierce College
community
– 1680 students and 300 faculty/staff

Sample Size
–
–
–
–
Non-probability convenience quota sampling method
160 people surveyed overall
23 faculty/staff
137 students
 35 Freshmen, 34 Sophomores, 34 Juniors, 34 Seniors
Methodology (cont.)

Data Collection Method
– Collected data by means of an 8 question survey
– As a group, hand collected each survey in classrooms and
dormitories
– Collection process took place between November 18-28 2005

Assumptions
– Each survey was answered honestly
– The people taken the surveys understood the vocabulary and
concepts within the survey
Methodology (cont.)

Limitations
– Small sample size
– Limited amount of time did not allow group to gather a larger
sample size
– Determining how much weight to put on each subgroup of
participants
 Focus on the subgroup that it would effect the most
Survey Questions

1. Do you own a cellular phone?

2. If “NO”, are you interested in purchasing a phone in the near future?

3. What provider do you currently use?
– Sprint/Nextel, Cingular, Verizon, U.S. Cellular, T-Mobile, Other

4. How would you rate your current service on campus?

5. If your current service on campus is poor, would you be interested in
switching service providers?

6. If you answered “YES”, what service provider would you like available
on campus?

7. How are you affiliated with Franklin Pierce College?
– Student or Faculty/Staff

8. If you are a student, indentify you class standing.
Results – Question 1
Do you own a cellular phone?
YES
19
NO
141
Results – Question 2
If "NO", are you interested in purchasing
a phone in the near future?
YES
1
NO
18
Results – Question 3
Number of People
What cellular service provider do you currently
use?
S
57
60
55
50
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
n
pr i
xte
e
t/N
35
26
10
11
2
l
Cin
l ar
u
g
V
lar
ile
u
b
l
l
o
-M
Ce
.
T
U.S
zo
eri
n
r
he
t
O
Results – Question 4
Descriptive Statistics
N
How would you rate
your current service
on campus?
Valid N (listwise)
Range
141
4
Minimum
Maximum
1
5
Mean
Std. Deviation
2.85
141
How would you rate your current service on campus?
Valid
Missing
Total
Poor
Below Average
Average
Above Average
Excellent
Total
System
Frequency
32
40
9
37
23
141
19
160
Percent
20.0
25.0
5.6
23.1
14.4
88.1
11.9
100.0
Valid Percent
22.7
28.4
6.4
26.2
16.3
100.0
Cumulative
Percent
22.7
51.1
57.4
83.7
100.0
1.449
Results – Question 4 (cont.)
How would you rate your current service on campus?
Number of People
40
40
35
37
32
30
23
25
20
15
10
9
5
0
Poor
Below
Average
Average
Above Excellent
Average
Results – Question 5
If your current service on campus is poor, would you
be interested in switching service providers?
44%
YES
NO
56%
Results – Question 6
Number of People
What service provider would you like available on
campus?
66
70
65
60
55
50
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
e
/N
t
r in
p
S
60
15
11
2
el
t
x
C
in
la
u
g
r
V
o
iz
r
e
n
ile
b
o
M
T
th
O
er
Results – Question 7
How are you affiliated with Franklin Pierce College?
Number of People
137
140
130
120
110
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
23
Student
Faculty/Staff
Results – Question 8
Student Class Standing
Freshman
Sophomore
Junior
34
35
34
34
Senior
Cross Tabulation #1
W hat cellular service provider do you currently use? * How are you
affiliated with Franklin Pierce College? Crosstabulation
Count
What cellular
service provider
do you currently
use?
Sprint/Nextel
Cingular
Verizon
U.S. Cellular
T-Mobile
Other
Total
How are you affiliated
with Franklin Pierce
College?
Student
Faculty/Staff
29
6
24
2
48
9
9
1
10
1
2
122
19
Total
35
26
57
10
11
2
141
W hat cellular serv ice provider do you currently use? * If you are a student, identify your class
standing. Crosstabulation
Count
What cellular
service provider
do you currently
use?
Total
Sprint/Nextel
Cingular
Verizon
U.S. Cellular
T-Mobile
Other
If you are a student, identify your class standing.
Freshman
Sophomore
Junior
Senior
12
3
5
9
4
4
12
4
8
14
12
14
2
2
3
2
4
4
1
1
1
1
30
27
34
31
Total
29
24
48
9
10
2
122
Cross Tabulation #1 (cont.)
16
14
12
10
8
If you are a student
6
Freshman
Count
4
Sophomore
2
Junior
0
Senior
Sprint/Nextel
Cingular
Verizon
T-Mobile
U.S. Cellular
Other
What cellular service provider do you currently use?
Cross Tabulation #2
W hat service provider would you like av ailable on campus? * How are
you affiliated with Franklin Pierce College? Crosstabulation
Count
What service
provider would
you like available
on campus?
Sprint/Nextel
Cingular
Verizon
T-M obile
Other
Total
How are you affiliated
with Franklin Pierce
Colleg e?
Student
Faculty/Staff
55
11
13
2
53
7
9
2
1
1
131
23
Total
66
15
60
11
2
154
W hat service provider would you like available on campus? * If you are a student, identify your
class standing. Crosstabulation
Count
What service
provider would
you like available
on campus?
Total
Sprint/Nextel
Cingular
Verizon
T-Mobile
Other
If you are a student, identify your class standing.
Freshman
Sophomore
Junior
Senior
25
11
8
11
2
2
5
4
6
17
18
12
2
2
5
1
35
32
32
32
Total
55
13
53
9
1
131
Cross Tabulation #2 (cont.)
30
20
If you are a student
10
Freshman
Count
Sophomore
Junior
0
Senior
Sprint/Nextel
Verizon
Cingular
Other
T-Mobile
What service provider would you like available on campus?
Cross Tabulation #3
W hat cellular service provider do you currently use? * How would you rate your current serv ice on campus?
Crosstabulation
Count
What cellular
service provider
do you currently
use?
Total
Sprint/Nextel
Cingular
Verizon
U.S. Cellular
T-M obile
Other
How would you rate your current service on campus?
Below
Above
Poor
Average
Average
Average
Excellent
12
20
2
1
10
13
2
1
3
5
31
18
2
1
3
4
6
3
1
1
2
32
40
9
37
23
Total
35
26
57
10
11
2
141
Discussion

According to our overall results the majority of the
campus community uses or would like to use
Sprint/Nextel or Verizon as their service provider
– Literature stated that Verizon was the best overall service
provider while Sprint/Nextel wasn’t even mention among the top
providers

Although literature states that features and price are the
top two aspects looked at when buying a phone, study
shows that more people are having to chose phones that
go along with the services that are available in the areas
they live

Study coincides with literature that it is hard to cover the
entire United States with most cellular services leaving
many dead spots in the less populated areas
Conclusions

Research Objective 1 - Identify what cellular service provider is the
most popular on campus

Verizon was the most popular with 40.4 %
– Of the 48 students that used Verizon only 8 were Freshman

24.8 of the sample uses Sprint/Nextel
– Of the 29 students that used Sprint/Nextel 12 were Freshman

18.4% of the sample uses Cingular
Conclusions (cont.)

Research Objective 2 - Identify if students, faculty, or staff would be
willing to switch service providers if alternatives were available.

Of the 149 people surveyed that had cell phones 44% said they
would be willing to change services if an alternate provider was
available
Data shows that a new service provider would attract a large
number of the Franklin Pierce College community population to
change services if it were available

Conclusions (cont.)

Research Objective 3 - Identify which alternate provider the FPC
community would prefer to have access to on campus

Sprint/Nextel was the most popular among all providers when asked
what alternate service the FPC community would most like to have
access to on campus (42.9%)

Although Verizon already has above average service on campus,
data showed that the FPC community would like to have a tower as
opposed to the current repeater already on campus to enhance
service
Recommendations

Construct a new Sprint/Nextel service
tower on campus to better serve the FPC
community
– 24.8% of sample already have Sprint/Nextel
– 42.9% of sample would like to see
Sprint/Nextel available on campus

Inform incoming students of the best
cellular services available on campus
Questions
?
Thank you!