Many consumer surveys reveal the essential value that consumers place on their mobile phones -- Pew found that consumers would give up the PC Internet before their handsets. However, mobile data/Internet doesn't enjoy that same level of importance in consumers' minds, according to a new survey from Strategy Analytics. At least that's true in the context of financial pressure and the hypothetical need to reduce household expenses.

The firm conducted a survey of 1,110 US "household decision makers regarding their multiplay spending intentions over the next year, the impact of the economy on household entertainment purchases, and the relative importance of each component of the so-called multiplay 'bundle' (broadband, digital television, fixed voice, mobile voice and mobile data)."

Here's the question:

Imagine that, due to household budgetary constraints, you have to reduce home entertainment /communications services expenses. How would this affect your spending on:

In other words, almost 50% said that given the need to reduce expenses they would drop mobile data services entirely. That compares with just 10% saying they'd drop the PC Internet.

What would be interesting to discover is whether there were any smarphone/iPhone users here and how their results compared with the averages. My guess is that you'd see more of them reluctant to drop mobile data. 

In addition if you surveyed a broader age group -- household decision makers are parents/older adults -- you'd also probably find younger users willing to drop mobile voice before their SMS/data plans because they text a great deal more than they talk on mobile phones.