Determining end user behaviours for wireless telecommunication services

With the advent of numerous wireless telecommunication services, users are moving to 'any where, any time and any how' services. Yet the advantages of wireless telecommunication services are not fully realised due to inherent problems including difficulties encountered by end-users in adopting wireless networks, finding services that are suitable to meet their needs, current limitations on user mobility, limitations placed on terminal capabilities and system interoperability issues. Due to technical and regulatory limitations, network providers find it difficult to provide users with services that they demand as there are numerous challenges yet to be addressed. This has given the impetus to find factors that determine the adoption of wireless telecommunication services by end users. This research examined the behavioural characteristics of the end-users for their choice of wireless telecommunication services to address those issues with adoption of wireless services. The study began with an initial exploration of existing literature including a review of theories such as TAM, WIMD, TPB and UTAUT to identify challenges that impact user behaviour and their influence on using wireless telecommunications services. Due to the relative newness of the topic, both qualitative and quantitative approaches involving convergent interviews and online surveys respectively were considered suitable for the study. Eight convergent interviews followed by an online survey with respondents having wireless usage experience have been conducted to determine the factors that influence the end user behaviours for their choice of wireless services. The findings revealed that mobility, system interactivity, wireless trust environment, system interoperability and user context play a significant role in determining the adoption of wireless services by end users.