Mobile Users vs. Subscribers – What’s the Difference?

Today’s eMarketer newsletter features an article that focuses on the important distinction between mobile subscribers and mobile users. A key snippet:

Subscribers and subscriptions are terms often conflated in the industry, but the distinction is important. Because some people have more than one phone line, they end up being double-counted. This results in overstated audience figures and penetration rates that approach and eventually exceed 100% of the population.

For marketers, the number of mobile users is a more useful figure because it more accurately describes the audience, and thus potential reach.

When it comes to overall mobile penetration for 2009, looking at subscribers produces a 91.4% penetration figure, while looking at users results in penetration of 76.5%. That’s a pretty dramatic difference.

The bottom line: both subscriber and user estimates are valid measures of the market. But knowing the distinction between the two may affect how you use them and for what purposes.