Substitution in smartphone communication services

Abstract

Substitution between mobile internet communication services and traditional mobile operator-provided communication services is studied in this paper using smartphones. The empirical data are collected with handset-based measurements conducted in Finland between 2008 and 2010. The data are collected from a total of 183 early adopter Symbian smartphone users. The individual-level correlation analysis indicates that no clear evidence in favor of substitution can be found. This implies that the services are used for different purposes as independent services and are not direct substitutes to each other. The results support similar studies conducted by other researchers. However, the analysis can be extended and improved in a number of ways that are discussed as future research.