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