手機3G行動上網費率之最適訂價策略

Abstract

隨著智慧型手機的快速發展，人們對於使用手機進行上網的需求也開始大量出現。面對快速增加的上網需求，電信業者的3G網絡受到了嚴峻的考驗。近年來，許多用戶開始紛紛反應在尖峰時段上網時常常連線速度過慢。為了解決壅塞問題，競標頻譜與增設基地台是電信業者所必須持續進行的，但這對於現狀的改善卻是緩不濟急。因此，是否有其他的方法來解決目前的困境呢？改變訂價模式變成電信業者的另一項選擇。 本研究將透過問卷發放實際了解3G使用者的使用狀況，之後根據所得到的使用者資訊，結合收益管理的知識建立五種不同的訂價模型，分別是無限上網、以使用量計費、以使用量計費+兩階段訂價、以使用量計費+尖峰訂價和一般時段無限上網+兩階段訂價等五個方案，並利用等候線模型對壅塞程度進行衡量。本研究將探討在極大化收益時，各個方案的壅塞程度狀況，並研究收益與壅塞程度間的關係。期望為電信業者找出一個合適的訂價模式。 最後對這五種訂價模型進行分析得到以下的結論：(1)無限上網的使用人數越多對於3G網路壅塞的影響程度越大。但現行業者不合理的訂價設定，卻是使大部分的使用者使用無限上網方案。(2)無限上網方案價格的下調，將使得收益減少同時使壅塞程度加劇。(3)在解決壅塞問題時，為了維持收益在一定的水準，業者應該要思考如何以無限上網為基礎進行訂價模式的改良以減少壅塞。(4)在進行差別取價時，透過時段進行差別取價的效果遠高於職業別的差別取價。

Smartphones become more popular in our life through the rapid development of technology. More and more people use the smartphone to surf the web, send email, watch online TV and listen to online music. Therefore, the demand of using cell phone to access to the internet is sharp increased. However, the 3G network face the congestion problem because of the increasing demand. Many users are complaining the slow speed of their internet connection. In order to solve the congestion problem, one of the things the cellular operators can do is buying more radio spectrum, but the radio spectrum is scarce and is limited by government. Thus, the cellular operators should think other ways to solve it. Adjusting the pricing model is another way which the operators can adopt. In this thesis, we will do a survey to understand the users of 3G data first. After we get the result of the survey, we will formulate five pricing models of 3G data plan based on revenue management, and use the queueing theory to evaluate the degree of congestion. We will focus on the relationship between the revenue and the degree of congestion, and find the best model for the cellular operators. The results of this thesis are showed in the following: (1) if the more people choose the unlimited data plan, the 3G network will be more congested. However, the prices of the other existing data plans in the market are too high, and those make the user choose the relatively reasonable plan-unlimited data plan. (2) That the price of unlimited data plan decrease will increase the quantity demanded of unlimited data plan and erode the operator’s revenue. (3) In order to keep the revenue, we could not cancel the unlimited data plan. We should design a new model based on unlimited data plan to solve the congestion problem. (4) Time-based discrimination is more efficient than group discrimination in 3G data plan.