Average revenue per user bands are tempting dividers because every operator already calculates them. The failure mode is slicing so finely that each band holds fewer than two percent of active lines — statistically noisy and commercially unusable.
In segmentation studies we run for Korean operators, we start with quintile cuts on billed revenue, then merge adjacent bands until each holds at least five percent of the base. We document every merge in the rulebook so future quarters apply the same thresholds.
Plan catalog alignment
ARPU bands should cross-reference list-price tiers. When a band spans three plan families, we note which family contributes the majority of lines — that tells product teams whether pricing architecture or discounting drives the band boundary.
Roaming and OTT add-ons
International roaming spikes and streaming bundle charges can push subscribers across band lines for a single billing cycle. We report both with-add-on and plan-only ARPU where data permits, so seasonal travelers do not distort core domestic segments.