Landlines Losing Popularity

Landlines are on their way to becoming as obsolete as the 8-track due to the fact that a growing number of people either do not pay attention to their land line or do not have one. According to an AP report regarding the results of a federal study published on May 14, almost three out of every ten households reported that they used cell phones in lieu of landlines, whether they had a land line or not.

The AP report went on to say that the study announced that, during the first part of 2007, 14% of the households tested were wireless-only. An additional 12% had landlines but took practically all their calls on cell phones. By the latter months of 2007, households with only cell phones had risen to 16% and those with cells and rarely used landlines had increased to 13%.

In cases where people had landlines but hardly used them, it is usually used to hook up a computer, or else they simply assume the calls are coming from solicitors. The study reported that most people using only cell phones had low incomes, were renters rather than homeowners and likely under thirty, and tended to be Hispanic and African-American rather than Caucasian. It further stated that the majority of households which rely on cells but have rarely used landlines are generally well educated with high incomes.

The AP article also discussed the federal findings concerning just who this rising trend is going to affect, naming polling organizations that rely on routine but random calls to phone numbers register to landlines. Because studies have proven that the answers to polling questions do not really differ between land line users and cell phone users, the organizations face pressure to include cell phone users, even though it is more expensive since federal law prevents solicitors to use automated dialing systems on cell numbers.

Naturally, telephone companies are also affected by this new trend. Emergency service providers are as well, because it is more difficult to find a person who is calling from a cell phone.

(May 16, 2008)