Abstract
Fixed prepaid services have failed to meet all of the objectives originally
set out by operators, having failed to stimulate fixed line growth or to slow
the explosive take-up of mobile services. Whilst they have proven relatively
popular, this has been largely at the expense of the fixed post-paid
subscriber base. However, they do have their merits. Not only has the
introduction of fixed prepaid services led to a large reduction in bad debt (a
particular problem facing fixed line operators in developing markets), but
with careful pricing and packaging, they could act as an alternative to mobile
in the future. Fixed line operators should weigh up the benefits and the costs
of launching fixed prepaid services, before abandoning them altogether.
What operators must begin to do is to leverage the benefits of fixed line
services over mobile. In practice this means bringing prices down (through
improved efficiency) and promoting the superior quality and reliability of the
service. Investment in bringing more affordable PCs to low GDP markets could
also yield results, stimulating Internet growth, the protector of fixed line
services in more developed markets. With fixed prepaid customers more likely
to churn than their fixed post-paid counterparts, fixed prepaid providers
should concentrate on boosting loyalty (as well as enticing customers to their
services in the first place). Operators should take advantage of the fact that
the lower marginal cost of a fixed voice minute (in comparison to mobile) is
perfectly suited to the bundling of (a limited number of) free calls with the
fixed prepaid subscription.
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