Attribute Perceptions as Factors Explaining Mobile Internet Acceptance of Cellular Customers in Germany

Abstract

The present study analyzes (1) how customers of mobile network operators (MNO) perceive attributes of mobile Internet (MI) offers, (2) how these perceptions are related to MI acceptance and (3) the extent to which these judgments and relationships differ as a function of an individual’s adoption status (actual compared to potential MI user) and the appliance category employed to access MI (handset compared to laptop). Data was collected by a survey of 525 effective and 540 potential MI users in Germany. Results show that the perceived relative functional advantage and communicability of MI offers were significantly positively and their trialability was significantly negatively correlated with MI acceptance in both customer groups. The findings provide insights for MNO and appliance vendors on measures which may effectively promote the acceptance of MI.