1. CONSUMERLAB
An Ericsson Consumer Insight Summary Report
April 2015
Regional report Latin America
Liberation
from
location

2. METHODOLOGY
The data presented in this report was gathered from a
total of 9,812 face-to-face interviews and 1,027 online
interviews conducted in 2014 across 6 countries in
Latin America: Argentina, Bolivia, Uruguay, Brazil,
El Salvador and Mexico. Interviews were conducted
with consumers aged 15–69 years old. Overall, the data
represents 189 million people living in Latin America.
2 ERICSSON CONSUMERLAB LIBERATION FROM LOCATION LATIN AMERICA
Ericsson ConsumerLab has 20 years’ experience of studying
people’s behaviors and values, including the way they act and
think about ICT products and services. Ericsson ConsumerLab
provides unique insights on market and consumer trends.
Ericsson ConsumerLab gains its knowledge through a global
consumer research program based on interviews with 100,000
individuals each year, in more than 40 countries and 15 megacities –
statistically representing the views of 1.1 billion people.
contents
FROM DUSK ’TIL DAWN 3
LOCATION EQUATION 4
THE GENERATION GAME 6
SHIFTING EXPERIENCES 7
SITUATION DETERMINES SERVICE 8
DAILY DOSE 9
COMMUNICATION CHOICES 10
SATISFACTION TRACKER 11
Both quantitative and qualitative methods are used, and hundreds of
hours are spent with consumers from different cultures. To be close
to the market and consumers, Ericsson ConsumerLab has analysts
in all regions where Ericsson is present, developing a thorough
global understanding of the ICT market and business models.
All reports can be found at:
www.ericsson.com/consumerlab
the voice of the consumer
MEXICO
EL SALVADOR
BOLIVIA
BRAZIL
URUGUAY
ARGENTINA

3. Key findings
ERICSSON CONSUMERLAB LIBERATION FROM LOCATION LATIN AMERICA 3
Consumers enjoy a more seamless connectivity
experience when indoors, but this ability drops
drastically when outdoors
> 29 percent are satisfied with streaming while
indoors, but only 15 percent while outdoors
Newer means of communication are emerging
for consumers with internet-enabled mobile phones
57 percent of consumers who send messages
on a daily basis use instant messaging
24 percent of consumers who make calls
on a daily basis use Voice over Internet
Protocol (VoIP)
In Latin America, consumers have an almost
equal preference for PCs and smartphones
for accessing internet services
With the increasing penetration of smartphones
and better connectivity, smartphone usage will
continue to grow
Once consumers start to use any type of internet
connection, they are likely to want to upgrade or
improve on it
20 percent of 2G consumers want to upgrade 4G.
This number rises to 35 percent for 3G customers
Consumers’ willingness to perform online
activities outdoors increases as the connectivity
experience improves
Around 30 percent of 4G users access
social networking sites outdoors, while less
than 20 percent of 2G users do the same
Network satisfaction influences
overall satisfaction in the region
People are more particular about
the quality of their data connection
than their voice connection, and
value for money is driven by
network satisfaction
FROM DUSK ’TIL DAWN
Communication is a quintessential need. We meet it by
being accessible to our friends, family and extended
community in person and more often nowadays, online.
Being able to make decisions on-the-go using relevant
content that is accessible anytime, anywhere has
assumed paramount importance among consumers.
This Ericsson ConsumerLab Latin America study
highlights the connectivity expectations of consumers
as they go about their lives.
DECISIONS
ON-THE-GO
are important to consumers

4. 4 ERICSSON CONSUMERLAB LIBERATION FROM LOCATION LATIN AMERICA
Our global study of 23 countries established that
consumers spend 85 percent of their time each day
in an indoor location. Therefore large parts of their
device and connectivity experiences are likely to
be influenced by this location. Globally, consumers
have shown greater satisfaction with their indoor
connectivity experience when accessing online
services. This is especially true for streaming
videos and watching TV or movies.
These findings are applicable to the Latin America
region as well, with consumers rating indoor
connectivity experience higher than outdoors.
Satisfaction levels for the connectivity experience go
up when performing both high and low data-intensive
activities indoors. Figure 1 shows that when watching
videos or films online, about 29 percent of consumers
rated their connectivity experience as satisfactory for
the indoors, compared to 15 percent for the outdoors.
SATISFACTION WITH
CONNECTIVITY
Source: Ericsson ConsumerLab, Liberation from location, Latin America 2015
Base: Users of respective services
Figure 1. Indoor vs. outdoor connectivity experience
OUTDOOR EXPERIENCE
STREAMING
VIDEO, TV
OR MOVIES
STREAMING
VIDEO, TV
OR MOVIES
BROWSING
AND ACCESSING
SOCIAL MEDIA
NETWORKS
BROWSING
AND ACCESSING
SOCIAL MEDIA
NETWORKS
29%15% 27%15%
INDOOR EXPERIENCE
LOCATION EQUATION
CONNECTIVITY IS
BETTER INDOORS
THAN OUTDOORS

5. Source: Ericsson ConsumerLab, Liberation from location, Latin America 2015
Base: Users of the internet on mobile/smartphones
Source: Ericsson ConsumerLab, Liberation from location, Latin America 2015
Base: Internet users
ERICSSON CONSUMERLAB LIBERATION FROM LOCATION LATIN AMERICA 5
People value seamless experiences when using online
services. Among weekly users of the internet, a larger
proportion of consumers perform their preferred
activities seamlessly across any device when indoors
than when outdoors (Figure 2). Also, the preferred
activities when indoors are different from those
outdoors. 81 percent of weekly users of the internet
engage in browsing on any device when indoors.
Browsing is not among the most preferred activities
when outdoors and is replaced by listening to music.
Only 32 percent of consumers use the internet across
any device to listen to music.
When outdoors, a large percentage of consumers
use mobile/smartphones. In Latin America, outdoor
usage of these devices is very high. Of those who
access the internet on their phone, 47 percent
send/receive messages and listen to music several
times a week when outdoors.This shows that digital
activities are not confined to indoor locations and
mobile/smartphones are enabling consumers to
perform more tasks outdoors.
Figure 2. Most common activities performed
across devices by weekly internet users
CALLS
MESSAGING
BROWSING
MESSAGING
CALLS
MUSIC
ACTIVITY ON ANY DEVICE
Figure 3. Usage of mobile/smartphones for different activities
84%
32%
35%
40%
84%
81%
MOBILE/
SMARTPHONE
INDOOROUTDOOR
Figure 4. Different modes of telephone calls and messaging services
Source: Ericsson ConsumerLab, Liberation from location, Latin America 2015
Base: Mobile phone users who send any type of message
on a daily basis, six countries
Source: Ericsson ConsumerLab, Liberation from location, Latin America 2015
Base: Mobile phone users who make any type of calls on a daily basis, six countries
Making calls and sending messages are among the top
activities performed across different locations. As the
Latin American market plays catch up with more mature
economies in terms of device availability and usage,
it is adapting to newer means of communication.
Mobile phone calls are slowly making way for calls over
the internet (VoIP), and SMS is being used alongside
instant messaging (IM) among daily users of the
internet. Figure 4 shows thatVoIP is finding takers
in Latin America, with 24 percent of consumers using
it. Even though SMS is still the most common way to
send messages, newer forms of messaging such as
IM are being preferred by consumers, with 57 percent
using this option.
ONLY VOIP ONLY IMONLY CALLS ONLY SMS
76% 42%
CALLS AND VOIP SMS AND IM
4% 6%
20% 51%
Calls Messaging
47%MESSAGING
47%MUSIC
41%CALLS

6. Popularity among young population
is higher than average
6 ERICSSON CONSUMERLAB LIBERATION FROM LOCATION LATIN AMERICA
Although consumers in the region have a better
experience indoors, what has emerged both in the
global and Latin America studies is the penchant of
the youth (15–29 years) to use more online services
outdoors than the overall population. Figure 5 shows
that among internet users in the 6 countries, the youth
favor the outdoors when performing activities like
browsing the internet, social networking and gaming.
From Figure 6 it becomes clear that consumers
of over-the-top (OTT) internet services such as
IM services like WhatsApp and video services like
YouTube, are mostly young. Around 70 percent
of consumers in the age groups 15–24 years and
25–29 years are users of OTT services, while the
OTT penetration for the overall population remains
at 57 percent.
Also, the youth are more willing to pay extra to
improve their outdoor connectivity experience
than any other age group. For example, around
70 percent of users aged 15–24 are willing to
spend on improving outdoor connectivity,
compared to around 40 percent of those
aged 50–59.
THE GENERATION GAME
Figure 5. Overall representation of young users (15–29 years) compared to the overall population for each internet based activity
Figure 6. OTT users by age
OUT AND
ABOUT
WHILE
COMMUTING
MUSIC
WORK/
SCHOOL
GAMING
HOME
SOCIAL
NETWORKING
CALLS ONLINE
SHOPPING
VIDEO WORK/STUDY
RELATED
MESSAGING INTERNET
BROWSING
Popularity among young population
is lower than or just about average
Source: Ericsson ConsumerLab, Liberation from location, Latin America 2015
Base: Internet users
Source: Ericsson ConsumerLab, Liberation from location, Latin America 2015
Base: Overall users, six countries
15–24 25–29 30–39 40–49 50–59 60+
70
50
30
10
80
60
40
20

7. 20%16%
ERICSSON CONSUMERLAB LIBERATION FROM LOCATION LATIN AMERICA 7
Shifting experiences
Good connectivity also determines whether or not
consumers use internet-based services or mobile voice
calls and text messaging services. Our study shows that
across age groups, consumer willingness to perform
online activities increases as the connectivity experience
shifts from 2G to 4G. While the proportion of consumers
doing basic activities such as calls and messaging
is similar between 3G and 4G, there are more 4G
consumers who perform data-intensive activities than
2G or 3G users. As Figure 7 indicates, there is a greater
willingness to use the internet to perform any activity
when a better technology experience is available. When
outdoors, only 10 percent of 2G or 3G users engage
in gaming, while 16 percent of 4G users do the same.
Also, as Figure 8 indicates, the better the experience
with an existing internet subscription, the more likely
a consumer is to upgrade to the next technology. For
instance, among current 2G users, only 20 percent
show an inclination to upgrade to 4G, however those
with 3G connections show more willingness to upgrade
to 4G at 35 percent.
Figure 7. Outdoor usage of mobile services
UPGRADE
TO 4G
UPGRADE
TO 3G
PLANNING TO
CHANGE NETWORK
CONNECTION/PLAN
Figure 8. Intention to upgrade to new technology or network plan
EXISTING
2G USERS
EXISTING
3G USERS
35%
13%
20%
Source: Ericsson ConsumerLab, Liberation from location, Latin America 2015
Base: Users of respective generations of mobile internet
40%
30%
20%
10%
60%
50%
4G 3G 2G
MUSIC GAMINGSOCIAL
NETWORKING
CALLS ONLINE
SHOPPING
VIDEOWORK/STUDY
RELATED
MESSAGING INTERNET
BROWSING
Source: Ericsson ConsumerLab, Liberation from location, Latin America 2015
Base: Internet users of respective generations of mobile internet

8. Consumers choose what type of service they want to
access on their devices according to the situation they
are in. 16 percent say they wish to access personal
security services more than any other service while
out and about. This indicates a level of concern with
security while they are outdoors.
Consumers also stay connected to online communities
and use various services throughout the day to meet
different requirements. 34 percent of consumers seek
out contacts online even when they are out socializing
with friends or family members.
Surprisingly, consumers do not seem inclined to
use easy and safe payment options while traveling
or commuting. Only 7 percent said they would prefer
to use easy payments services while traveling.
26 percent of consumers in Latin America find it very
useful to be able to access their files and documents
while they are working or studying. This is closely
followed by 19 percent of consumers who wish to
connect with peers while working or studying.
It is also very common for consumers to want to
use their devices to stay updated irrespective of the
situation. Getting relevant information and updates
is among the top three services used in all situations.
About 15 percent are interested in using their mobile
phones or tablets to contact security services, such
as the police, to report an accident or crime when
they are outdoors or commuting.
8 ERICSSON CONSUMERLAB LIBERATION FROM LOCATION LATIN AMERICA
SITUATION DETERMINES
SERVICE
26%
want to access their files
and documents while
working or studying
Easy, safe and fast payment options
Getting relevant information and updates
Being able to access files, documents and content
Connect with others online
Personal security services
Figure 9. Services consumers want to engage in on their mobile devices in different situations
Source: Ericsson ConsumerLab, Liberation from location, Latin America 2015
Base: Any internet user accessing the respective service on a mobile phone or tablet
SHOPPING (NOT ONLINE)
10%
20%
30%
40%
SOCIALIZING WITH FRIENDS
OR FAMILY (FACE-TO-FACE)
COMMUTING OR TRAVELING WORKING OR STUDYING WHILE OUT AND ABOUT

9. 77%
As the location where we use our devices to
access online services becomes inconsequential,
our preference for what online activities to perform
on what devices becomes clearer. Certain online
activities find more takers among the local population
on a daily basis than others. For instance consumers
show high preference for browsing the internet, social
networking, IM and emails on a daily basis, across
any kind of device.
Figure 10 shows that consumers’ use of PCs (desktops
and laptops) and mobile/smartphones depends on the
activities they perform. Mobile/smartphones are almost
as popular as PCs in the region, especially when
browsing the internet, social networking and gaming.
Tablet usage is yet to pick up in Latin America.
ERICSSON CONSUMERLAB LIBERATION FROM LOCATION LATIN AMERICA 9
Figure 10: Activities performed across different devices (mobile/smartphone, PC and tablet)
DAILY DOSE
Source: Ericsson ConsumerLab, Liberation from location, Latin America 2015
Base: Users of mobile phones, PCs and tablets, respectively
device choice
depends on what activity
is being performed
52% 46%21% 65% 60%38% 80% 43%
MUSIC GAMINGSOCIAL
NETWORKING
CALLS ONLINE
SHOPPING
VIDEOWORK/STUDY
RELATED
MESSAGING INTERNET
BROWSING
MOBILE/
SMARTPHONE
PC
TABLET
62% 45% 22%91% 34% 23%90% 57% 62%
44% 33% 31%15% 23% 17%23% 45% 27%

10. 10 ERICSSON CONSUMERLAB LIBERATION FROM LOCATION LATIN AMERICA
The frequency of use of different mobile devices to
access internet services varies across countries.
In Latin America, although device usage varies with
the type of activity performed, consumers show an
almost equal preference for laptops/desktops and
mobiles/smartphones when it comes to daily internet
usage. In contrast, consumers in Europe have clear
preferences when it comes to daily usage of the
internet on different devices.
Figure 11 shows that Mexicans tend to use mobiles/
smartphones more often (61 percent), while Brazilians
use PCs (55 percent) more to access the internet.
At 61 percent, Argentina has an equal proportion of
consumers accessing the internet on their PCs and
mobile/smartphones. Tablet usage is low across
the region, but Brazil and Mexico have the largest
proportion of consumers who use tablets to go online
daily at 19 percent and 18 percent, respectively.
COMMUNICATION
CHOICES
equal preference
for PCs and mobile/smartphones
for daily internet use
Figure 11. Frequency of internet use per device and country, users who access the internet at least daily
40%
30%
50%
60%
70%
20%
10%
PC Mobile phone Tablet
ARGENTINA BOLIVIA BRAZIL EL SALVADOR MEXICO URUGUAY OVERALL
Source: Ericsson ConsumerLab, Liberation from location, Latin America 2015
Base: Consumers aged 15-69

11. 20%
19%
18%
15%
13%
8%
7%
47% 53%
ERICSSON CONSUMERLAB LIBERATION FROM LOCATION LATIN AMERICA 11
NETWORK SATISFACTION
SERVICE SATISFACTION
OVERALL SATISFACTION
VALUE FOR MONEY
44%56%
SATISFACTION
TRACKER
Overall, Latin America is quickening its pace of
adoption of devices and usage of online services.
Consumers in the region are clear in their preferences
for internet-enabled devices, with an almost equal
usage of desktops/laptops and smartphones.Tablet
use is picking up in the region. As usage of tradtional
means of calling and messaging declines people show
a willingness to adapt to newer forms of communication
such asVoIP and IM. Consumers also show a greater
willingness to invest in improving their connectivity.
In Latin America, network satisfaction is crucial to
the overall satisfaction and realization of the value for
money proposition among consumers.This in turn is
heavily influenced by quality of data connection. It has
to be noted that along with other factors, such as the
rise in smartphone usage, the willingness of the youth
to utilize technology to stay connected and the spread
of 4G, customer service is also very important for
these consumers, especially for new users of the
internet on a mobile phone.
Figure 12. Relative importance of factors affecting overall satisfaction and value for money
As an emerging market, consumers within Latin America
expect better connectivity, varied pricing plans and
good quality services, with special emphasis on
improving the outdoor experience. Network satisfaction
influences overall satisfaction in the region, as seen in
Figure 12. People are more particular about the quality
of their data connection than their voice connection.
Value for money is driven by network satisfaction.
Aspects such as customer service, price plans and
billing, influence service satisfaction in Latin America.
Service
Service
Voice
Devices offered
Initial purchase process
Customization
Accurate billing
Technical customer service
Billing customer service
Price plans
Network
Network
Data
Source: Ericsson ConsumerLab, Liberation from location, Latin America 2015
Base: Mobile phone users
48% 52%
In short, consumers expect their daily quota of
information and entertainment to be met, while
also being able to access the larger community
both offline and online.

12. EDB-14:008628 Uen
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