A study by Bain & Company found that the fight for market share in the telecommunications sector has driven down prices for network services such as voice, text and data as well as devices. This has taught customers to make price the main criterion over factors such as network quality, brand or services.

Laurent-Pierre Baculard, a partner with Bain, says, "As connectivity costs have fallen, customers have begun to think of telcos as mere providers of pipes and have shifted their perceptions of value from the network to their mobile devices and content providers." He says that telecoms groups need to invest in their networks to provide better connectivity and monitoring of sensors and other connected objects and become "enablers of an integrated, premium digital lifestyle... not only entertainment and communication, but also smart and connected homes and cars, security, healthcare and other digital services."