Mobile broadband users are increasingly willing to consider alternative price plans, a new study has indicated.

Research conducted by policy control and application assurance technology provider Camiant found that such structures are seen by many consumers as being preferable to traditional broadband packages.

Mobile data consumers are more interested in rate plans designed to control bandwidth and afford incremental revenue add-ons than in traditional cap-plus-overage deals, which may impose steep penalties if limits are exceeded, the study found.

Problems with the traditional structures include a lack of knowledge about usage caps, how much bandwidth has been used and what happens if the bandwidth cap is exceeded.

"It's becoming very clear that network operators need to offer a wider range of package options to users of mobile data users," said Graham Finnie, Chief Analyst at Heavy Reading, which carried out the study on behalf of Camiant.

"This study provides strong evidence that end users are willing to consider a range of alternatives to conventional usage management schemes."

Last week, the GSM Association reported that mobile broadband has witnessed a sharp rise in popularity over the last year.