Telecommunications Research in Poland

Telecommunications market research encompasses projects covering mobile operators, internet service providers, cable TV companies, MVNOs, and companies in the 5G/IoT ecosystem. These studies analyze subscriber satisfaction, loyalty and churn drivers, decision-making processes in choosing and switching operators, attitudes toward new technologies (5G, IoT), and the effectiveness of marketing and pricing strategies.

Poland’s telecom market is mature and intensely competitive — four major operators (Orange, T-Mobile, Plus, Play) compete for approximately 50 million active SIM cards. Meanwhile, MVNOs (Mobile Virtual Network Operators) are gaining relevance with flexible tariffs that disrupt traditional business models. The fixed-line market (broadband internet, cable TV) is consolidating, and 5G deployment is opening new opportunities in IoT, smart city, and industrial automation.

Common telecom research projects include: subscriber satisfaction and loyalty studies (NPS, Customer Effort Score, satisfaction driver analysis), churn factor analysis (why do customers leave — price, coverage, service quality, competitor offers?), new tariff and package concept testing (conjoint analysis — feature vs. price optimization), mystery shopping in retail stores and call centers, operator brand image studies, customer segmentation (heavy users, price-sensitive, loyalty-driven), and 5G attitude research (awareness, expectations, concerns).

Methodologically, telecom research benefits from a large, easily accessible subscriber base in consumer panels — nearly every adult in Poland is an operator’s customer, simplifying recruitment. The most commonly used methods are: CATI (phone interviews — ideal for satisfaction surveys, high response rates), CAWI (online surveys — fast, affordable, excellent for concept testing), mystery shopping (service quality audits in stores, call centers, and online processes), conjoint analysis (tariff and package optimization), and operator data analysis (when the client shares churn, ARPU, and usage pattern data).

The challenge is service commoditization — subscribers increasingly struggle to see differences between operators beyond price, making the market vulnerable to price wars and making loyalty based on value difficult to build. Additionally, the “inertia” phenomenon (passive customers who don’t switch operators despite dissatisfaction) can mask true satisfaction levels in research.