These could be categorised as:

1. Buyers

The list broadly contains enterprises, retailers and individual customers all of which could be segmented on the basis of following parameters:

• Demographics: Demographics: This plays a very important role in any market research. Age , gender, income, education, ethnicity, and geographic location of the people participating in the market research hold the key to what would interest them based on these key factors.
• Usage:Usage patterns of various technological devices or a service is one of the main areas companies need to know. Heavy users, light users, occasional users, and non-users can make or break their product/service launch when not properly understood. After all this about understanding the needs and preferences of a selected group.
• Products and Services: Products and services offered by telecommunication companies are the key drivers of any company. Users could be of anything, from mobile phones, broadband internet, cable television, to other services.
• Attitudes and Behavior:This one is an absolute. No market research can be complete by not focussing on attitudes and behaviour of the users (current and potential) to telecommunication services. It could be a dissatisfied one or the one willing to pay a premium for a service.
• Competitive Environment:How many service providers are active in a particular geographical location and how the users engage with them could be the research objective.

2. Telecom companies

• The professionals in the telecom company are directly handling all the matters concerning services and service providers. They are the people who know the ins and outs of the telecom business. If someone knows what to ask from them, the answer would certainly be there. (Crustel Research does a very good job of designing questions based on your queries and figuring out answers!)

3. Regulators

• Just like any big business that has an impact on the behaviour of the masses, the presence of the regulators is kind of expected. Individuals sailing the same boat must be aware of this and know the crucial role these play in the life of telecom businesses, and on the consumers, even if indirectly.

4. Suppliers

• The businesses that are into the material supply (like electrical and electronic parts, hardware and software services) for allowing the smooth functioning of telecommunication in general and specific telecom services in particular.

5. Investors

• Funding agencies and other potential investors are ready to squeeze out a part of their hard-earned/accumulated wealth to propel growth in the emerging telecom markets that promise to give better results over a long period of “invested” time.