Cell Phones Gain on Landlines

According to a recent survey by Yankee Group, three in 10 U.S. cell phone users between the ages of 18 and 24 have ditched their landline phones reports the RED HERRING. Keith Mallinson at Yankee said, "The landline is going the way of the glove-box cell phone. Plenty of people have them for safety or backup but they rarely get used."

The survey estimates that more than 65 percent of the U.S. population owns a cell phone and "overall, the trend is less dramatic, with one in 10 cell phone users without landlines." Mallinson remarked that better cellular coverage and "Better-priced cellular calling plans with in-network and family-calling discounts are persuading customers to 'cut the cord'."

As this earlier post noted, pricing and reliability is still holding back more people from going completely wireless. For example, when there's no power, landline phones can still work while a cell phone can't...