무선통신 기술의 진화에 따른 초연결 사회로의 전환으로 인해 무선데이터 트래픽이 급격히 증가하고 있다. 정책적 관점에서, 트래픽 변화 양상이 효과적으로 파악되어야 주파수 신규할당, 이용효율 개선, 기술 혁신 등과 같은 대안을 마련할 수 있다. 기존 연구는 대개 최번시 이용시간, 설문조사 등을 통해 트래픽을 분석하고 있어 다변화하는 소비자의 이용행태를 반영하거나, 객관성을 담보하기 힘들다. 이러한 논의 하에서, 본 연구는 소비자의 경제적 유인과 이용행태를 반영하는 요인들이 무선데이터 트래픽에 미치는 효과를 분석한다. 트래픽 영향요인으로, 요금, 소득, 주파수 할당량, 서비스 품질, 기술방식 이용도, 콘텐츠 이용행태 등을 고려하며, 방법론으로 주성분 회귀분석을 활용한다. 이동통신시장 자료를 활용한 실증분석결과, 서비스 품질, 기술방식 이용도 등이 무선데이터 트래픽에 유의미한 영향을 미치는 것으로 확인된다. 본 연구의 결과는 통신정책 수립의 객관화·과학화에 기여할 것으로 기대된다. 구체적으로, 분석된 트래픽은 주파수의 할당, 재할당, 회수·재배치 등과 같은 정책설계에 있어 수요평가의 근거로 활용될 수 있다.
Due to the evolution of wireless communication technology and the subsequent transition to a hyper-connected society, there has been a rapid increase in wireless data traffic. From a telecommunication policy standpoint, it is crucial to analyze this traffic in order to devise effective policies, such as spectrum allocation and re-farming. Traditionally, traffic analysis has predominantly relied on factors like busy hour usage and survey outcomes. The busy hour usage approach operates under the assumption that consumer service usage remains fixed at a specific level (maximum) for a set period. However, consumer behavior regarding mobile communication services is evolving rapidly. The emergence of data-intensive services like AR (augmented reality), VR (virtual reality), and cloud computing is driving changes in consumer behavior patterns. Traffic analysis via survey results tends to be qualitative in nature, potentially raising concerns regarding objectivity and reliability. While there is a push for the scientificization and objectification of spectrum management policies, utilizing survey-based approaches may not fully meet these requirements. Therefore, there is an emphasized need to develop methodologies that transcend the limitations posed by busy hour usage assumptions and qualitative survey-based analyses to ensure more objective and reliable spectrum management policies. In light of these discussions, this study aims to explore the impact of various factors that mirror consumers" incentives and behaviors on wireless data traffic. Specifically, I delve into consumers" economic motivations (such as average revenue per user and service quality), their technology adoption, and their content usage patterns. The theoretical framework of this study can be viewed as an effort to apply and broaden the demand function of consumer theory within economics. Given that consumers are the primary entities generating traffic, it"s a logical approach to construct an analytical model based on inferences drawn from their choices and behaviors. Methodologically, this study employs principal component regression. This methodology unfolds in two distinct steps. Initially, I categorize factors that may influence traffic and identify key components that maximize the information contained within each category of factors. Subsequently, I conduct regression analysis by integrating the principal component factors from each category along with other pertinent variables into a model. This approach aims to enhance the existing demand analysis model, which traditionally relies on single information sources such as past traffic (time-series analysis) and the number of subscribers (diffusion model). By employing principal component regression, this study seeks to augment the explanatory power of the model and expand its scope. This study uses the Korean mobile market as its empirical sample. The rationale behind this choice is the substantial number of consumers within this market and their tendency to exhibit sensitive changes in behavior. Moreover, from the perspective of telecommunication policy, this market presents a significant demand for accurate traffic analysis concerning spectrum allocation and the determination of spectrum prices. The empirical analysis conducted in this study reveals that service quality and the acceptance of technology have a significant influence on mobile data traffic. These findings carry two noteworthy policy implications. Firstly, they advocate for the consideration of service quality in traffic analysis for the formulation of spectrum allocation and assignment strategies. Secondly, they serve as evidence supporting the notion that the introduction of new mobile communication technologies correlates with an upsurge in consumer demand (traffic). Furthermore, the results of this study can contribute significantly to the objectification and scientific grounding of telecommunication policy. Specifically, the observed changes in analyzed traffic can serve as a foundational basis for evaluating demand within spectrum management policies, encompassing aspects like spectrum allocation, reallocation, and re-farming. These findings not only provide insights into the factors influencing mobile data traffic but also offer practical implications for formulating effective telecommunication policies based on empirical evidence.