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Phone Service

In Brief: Breaking Up Is Hard to Do: Consumer Switching Costs in the U.S. Marketplace for Wireless Telephone Service  / Research Report
October 2007— The switching costs that consumers are charged when they change wireless telephone service providers, such as early termination fees, generally harm consumers by increasing prices and making markets less competitive. In this short summary of the similarly titled AARP Public Policy Institute Issue Paper, Christopher A. Baker finds significant evidence that the national wireless carriers strategically pursue and manage a full range of switching cost opportunities. (2 pages) (Publication ID: INB147)

Breaking Up Is Hard to Do: Consumer Switching Costs in the U.S. Marketplace for Wireless Telephone Service  / Research Report
October 2007— The switching costs that consumers are charged when they change wireless telephone service providers, such as early termination fees, generally harm consumers by increasing prices and making markets less competitive. In this AARP Public Policy Institute Issue Paper, Christopher A. Baker finds significant evidence that the national wireless carriers strategically pursue and manage a full range of switching cost opportunities. (29 pages) (Publication ID: 2007-18)

2006 Survey of AARP New Mexico Members  / Research Report
November 2006— Findings from a 2006 mail survey exploring and measuring the opinions of AARP members on legislative issues and personal concerns are presented in five individual topical reports concerning affordable housing, consumer financial privacy, long-term care, transportation, and utilities.

2006 Survey of AARP Wyoming Members  / Research Report
November 2006— Concerns about identity theft, work and retirement, telecommunications, and AARP’s role in these issues and their communities are explored in four reports of findings from a mail survey of 1,052 Wyoming AARP members during the summer of 2006.

Telephone Deregulation in Mississippi: A Survey of Self-Identified Registered Voters Age 18+  / Research Report
October 2006— Support for repealing their state’s 2006 deregulation law allowing telephone rate increases up to 100 percent each year while reducing consumer protection is gauged in this random telephone survey of 803 age 18+ self-identified Mississippi voters during August and September 2006. (21 pages)

Cell Phone Service Bills, Long-Term Contracts, and Complaints  / Research Report
June 2006— Cell phone consumers are often locked into long-term contracts before they have an opportunity to review their first monthly bill. In this AARP Public Policy Institute Fact Sheet by Christopher Baker, survey results show strong support for allowing consumers to cancel their cell phone contract after receiving their first bill without having to pay a penalty. (2 pages) (Publication ID: FS130)

Cell Phones for Safety and Security in Case of an Emergency  / Research Report
June 2006— Consumers purchase cell phones for many reasons. In this AARP Public Policy Institute Fact Sheet, Christopher Baker presents survey results that show women, low-income consumers and older consumers are among the most likely cell phone users to cite safety and security as a reason for having cell phone service. (2 pages) (Publication ID: FS131)

Consumer Issues on Long Island: An AARP Survey  / Research Report
June 2006— The extent of support for laws giving consumers the right to terminate cellular phone service up to 15 days after receiving their first bill and requiring providers to tell new consumers where their cell phone service is and is not “e-911” compatible is gauged in this December 2005 telephone survey of 800 AARP members on New York’s Long Island. AARP MEMBER OPINION RESEARCH (20 pages)

Deregulating Telecommunications in Indiana: AARP Members Speak Out  / Research Report
February 2006— How AARP members in Indiana feel about their experiences with telephone service in their state, what they think about its cost and quality, and their opinions about legislation that would deregulate basic telephone service are explored in this January 2006 survey. (18 pages)

2005 Survey of Georgia AARP Members  / Research Report
October 2005— The opinions and experiences of Georgia AARP members regarding utilities including telephone, cellular phone, Internet, gas, and electric, are explored in this August 2005 mail survey. Their top concerns are the rising cost of telephone and Internet services, natural gas and electricity.

Older Persons and Wireless Telephone Use  / Research Report
May 2005— While consumers age 50 to 64 are almost as likely to have cell phone service as those between 18 and 49, this AARP Public Policy Institute Fact Sheet by Christopher A. Baker and Ann McLarty Jackson finds that the most common reason for age 65+ users is security in case of an emergency. (2 pages) (Publication ID: FS116)

Utility Issues in Illinois: A Survey of Residents 18+ in the Prairie State  / Research Report
April 2005— Opinions of Illinois residents age 18+ about the cost of utility services, utility company practices, and upcoming legislation are explored in this AARP survey of these residents on a variety of specific Illinois utility issues, including phone company sales methods, electric service rate setting, and cell phone contracts. (23 pages)

Key Elements for Informed Choice and Consumer Protection in the Wireless Telecommunications Marketplace  / Research Report
March 2005— What policymakers can do via rule-making or legislation to promote a level playing field for consumers of wireless telephone services is outlined in this AARP Public Policy Institute issue memo. (2 pages) (Publication ID: M-1)

Oklahoma Legislative Issues Survey: Telecommunications  / Research Report
January 2005— AARP MEMBER OPINION RESEARCH: The experience of 1,013 Oklahoma AARP members with local telephone service providers, and their support for stricter regulation and oversight of such utilities in the state, and for stronger consumer protections and disclosures for cellular phone users are examined in this 2004 mail survey. (28 pages)

Understanding Consumer Attitudes About Wireless Telephone Directories and Privacy  / Fact Sheet
August 2004— Cell phone users' interest - or lack thereof - in making their wireless phone numbers publicly available through directories is assessed by Neal Walters and Christopher Baker in this AARP Public Policy Institute Fact Sheet reporting the results of a June 2004 survey. (4 pages) (Publication ID: FS99 )

The Need for Wireless Telephone Consumer Protections: A Survey of New York Residents  / Research Report
June 2004— Cell phone service is one of the most complained about industries in the nation. Results from this study show overwhelming support among New Yorkers for proposed consumer protection legislation for wireless telephone service. (18 pages)

AARP Report Questions Cell Phone Service Quality; And Users Have Few Options  / News Release
July 2003— AARP report questions cell phone service quality; and users have few options.

Understanding Consumer Concerns about the Quality of Wireless Telephone Service  / Research Report
July 2003— Findings from a nationwide survey on consumers' interest in, awareness and understanding of, and satisfaction with wireless telephone service and service providers are reported in this AARP Public Policy Institute Data Digest by Christopher Baker and Kellie K. Kim-Sung. (4 pages) (Publication ID: DD89)

Energy and Telephone Assistance in the States: Public Programs that Help Low-Income Households  / Research Report
December 2002— Programs mandated, funded or approved by federal or state governments to help low-income households initiate and maintain home energy and telephone service are reviewed in this AARP Public Policy Institute report by Ann McLarty Jackson, Christopher Baker and Robert Wilden. (318 pages) (Publication ID: D17577)

Current Issues in the Pricing of Telecommunications Services  / Research Report
June 2001— In this AARP Public Policy Institute report, Dr. David Gabel of Queens College finds that local telephone companies are raising customer access charges and local rates at the same time that firms in more competitive networked industries are heavily discounting or eliminating access charges. (44 pages) (Publication ID: D17416)

Understanding Consumer Use of Wireless Telephone Service  / Research Report
December 2000— Key findings and policy implications of an AARP survey of consumers' experience with wireless phone service are examined in this AARP Public Policy Institute report by Christopher A. Baker and Ann McLarty Jackson. (50 pages) (Publication ID: D17328)

Consumer Understanding of Pricing Practices and Savings Opportunities in the Long Distance Telephone Industry: Findings from an AARP Survey  / Research Report
July 2000— Key findings and policy implications from the AARP Public Policy Institute study by Christopher A. Baker and Ann McLarty Jackson of how well consumers understand pricing practices and savings opportunities in the long distance telephone industry. (33 pages) (Publication ID: D17192)

Promises and Realities: An examination of the post-merger performance of the SBC/Pacific Telesis and Bell Atlantic/NYNEX companies  / Research Report
July 1999— This AARP Public Policy Institute Issue Brief by Scott Lundquist et al. of Economics and Technology, Inc. examines the successes and failures of the SBC/Pacific Telesis and Bell Atlantic/NYNEX companies since their respective mergers in 1997. (73 pages) (Publication ID: D17000)

Long-Distance Callers' Awareness and Use of Various Telephone-Related Options  / Research Report
October 1998— This AARP Public Policy Institute report by Christopher A. Baker shows that many callers and particularly older callers pay unnecessarily high rates for long-distance service and suggests that a primary reason for this behavior is that long-distance callers are misinformed and/or lack essential information about their telephone-related options. (38 pages) (Publication ID: D16819)