CONSUMERS WANT MORE LOCAL CONTENT
FROM WIRELESS SERVICE PROVIDERS

Demand for some “next gen” services fall flat
traffic and weather win praises
highest recorded levels of consumer wireless spending

JENKINTOWN, PA, July 13, 2005 –As consumers are presented with a host of next generation wireless services, interest in those services remains tepid – unless they’re going to help consumers dodge raindrops and traffic jams. The latest quarterly survey from TNS Telecoms indicates that 20 percent of households are interested in a service that provides local weather and traffic alerts via text messaging. In contrast, only six percent (6%) of households indicated they would be interested in sports programming and 7 percent (7%) indicated interest in watching clips of television shows.

“Localized wireless services such as weather, traffic, driving directions and restaurant reservations all seem to present an untapped market for wireless service providers,” stated Charles White, Vice President of TNS Telecoms. “Although 20 percent of consumers report interest in services like local weather and traffic updates, only two percent (2%) report having used such a service. The research also shows that customers interested in these features are already among the highest value wireless customers.”

In addition to these results, the latest quarterly results also showed a significant increase of almost five percent (5%) in total telecommunications spending to $167.61 per month. Spending growth recognized in each service category took total telecom spending to its highest recorded levels.

Telecom Industry Market Share – First Quarter 2005

About the Research

TNS Telecoms collects responses through its Bill Harvesting® database from 32,000 U.S. households that provide their complete set of telecommunications bills, promotional bill inserts and telecom direct mail communications each year. In the business market, TNS Telecoms' BusinessWave® research gathers telecom behavior information from small, medium and large businesses across the U.S. Together this syndicated information provides a number of product offerings including databases, TNS reports and online applications allowing national, state, city and micro level analysis across the U.S.

About TNS Telecoms

TNS Telecoms, the specialist telecoms division of TNS, is a global provider of strategic and tactical market information and analysis for telecom service providers and the entire telecommunications industry. Its range of syndicated research solutions and custom capabilities allows TNS Telecoms to meet the changing market information challenges of telecom-related businesses. For more information please go to www.tnstelecoms.com.

About TNS

TNS is a market information group. We are the world’s largest custom research company and a leading provider of social and political polling. We are also a major supplier of consumer panel, TV audience measurement and media intelligence services.

TNS operates a global network spanning 70 countries and employs over 13,000 people. We provide market information and measurement, together with insights and analysis, to local and multinational organisations.

We combine our specialist sector knowledge with expertise in the areas of new product development, motivational research, brand and advertising research and stakeholder management to bring our clients up-to-the minute, internationally consistent information.

We think differently to help our clients build competitive advantage, making TNS the sixth sense of business.

Further information on TNS can be found on www.tns-global.com

TNS is a trademark of Taylor Nelson Sofres plc.

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Editor’s Note: Please source all data and tables as “Source: TNS Telecoms.”
Second Quarter 2005 Tracking Metrics will be available in September 2005.
Bill Harvesting and BusinessWave are registered trademarks of TNS Telecoms

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