Consumers to Wireless Carriers: ''We're Sticking!''; Just Seven Percent of Mobile Phone Subscribers Plan to Switch Carriers When Contracts Are Up; NPD Mobile Consumer Track Examines Consumer Spending and Usage of Mobile Services and Content.

PORT WASHINGTON, N.Y. -- According to The NPD Group, a leading consumer and retail information company, wireless carriers are doing a good job retaining customers. Based on February 2006 data from NPD's Mobile Consumer Track service, more than three-quarters of all mobile phone service subscribers reported that they would "definitely not" or "probably not" switch carriers when their contracts are up. Just over seven percent said they would "definitely" or "probably" switch carriers.

"When number porting became available, many carriers were worried it would cause a huge avalanche of consumer switching," said Glen LeBlanc, research director for mobile services at The NPD Group. "But that didn't happen, and according to consumers, it's not bound to happen anytime soon. Proactive retention and promotional programs instituted by carriers that incorporate device upgrades appear to have helped lower churn across the industry."

According to NPD, 23 percent of consumers are "completely satisfied" with their wireless carriers and another 44 percent are "very satisfied." For those unsatisfied consumers who plan to switch carriers in the next three months, Verizon tops the list of companies consumers say they plan to switch to.

Other Mobile Consumer Track findings from February 2006 include the following:

--The industry has had success in getting consumers to adopt text messaging, which is important, since SMS traffic generates 37 percent of all data revenue and nearly 40 percent of mobile phone users now use text functionality on their mobile phones; T-Mobile leads the U.S. carriers, with just over half of their subscribers using text messaging.

--17 million wireless subscribers currently use picture messaging. Women generate 57 percent of picture messaging revenue for carriers.

--Currently nearly 18 percent of consumers have signed up for a data plan on their wireless phones. Sprint boasts the largest share (25 percent) of customers with data plans.

--While still a small percentage of overall consumers, nearly 3 million subscribers currently listen to music on their mobile phones. Nearly six in ten mobile music listeners are male.

Methodology: Mobile Consumer Track offers the industry's most in-depth and comprehensive examination of consumer spending and usage of mobile services and content. It specifically tracks consumer adoption, consumption, and use of mobile services and downloaded content. Each month NPD compiles and analyzes mobile consumer information from more than 15,000 completed online consumer research surveys. Surveys are based on a nationally-balanced and demographically-representative sample of consumers, and results are projected to represent the entire population of U.S. consumers. For more information about NPD's offerings in this business sector, visit http://wireless.npd.com.

About The NPD Group, Inc.

Since 1967 The NPD Group has provided reliable and comprehensive consumer and retail information for a wide range of industries. Today, more than 1,400 manufacturers and retailers rely on NPD to help them better understand their customers, product categories, distribution channels and competition in order to help guide their businesses. Information from The NPD Group is available for the following major vertical sectors: apparel, appliances, automotive, beauty, consumer electronics, food and beverage, foodservice, footwear, home improvement, housewares, imaging, information technology, music, software, toys, video games, and wireless. For more information, visit www.npd.com.