The wireless internet decision: a multi-method investigation of decision drivers

The deployment of mobile internet technologies such as 3G/4G and WiMax adds more access technologies options for internet users. This raises a question about how people decide which access technology to use. Behavioural economics suggests that reference price, status quo bias and flat rate bias are important determinants of people's buying behaviour when making a choice among several alternatives. This paper takes a mixed-methods approach to address calls for alternative perspectives on technology adoption and for exploration of the consumer decision-making process beyond construct-based research. More specifically, focus group and survey methodologies are used to examine the research questions. The study finds that reference pricing, flat rate bias and status quo bias are important factors in technology adoption decisions. This study contributes to the Information Systems and mobile communications literature by proposing an approach for technology adoption when alternative options are available to users and by providing opportunities for further research.