2007 Sees Wireless Spending Outstrip Landlines

prostoalex writes "Each December the Bureau of Labor Statistics prepares a report on telecommunications spending among US households. They analyze the previous year's data, so their most recent release says that in 2006 the average US household spent $542 on their landline, and $524 on their wireless bill. The way the curves are headed, 2007 is likely to become the first year when wireless spending will surpass landline spending. 'To be sure, when corporate cell-phone use is counted, overall U.S. spending surpassed land line spending several years ago, analysts said.'"

Comments

$ spent but how?

[ed.han]

um...duh?

landlines don't give you varying costs, usage limitations, texting plans, ringtones, MP3s, games, yadda yadda yadda. all landlines do is let you talk/fax.

of course mobile phone spending is gonna outstrip it. the real question to me is why did it take this long?

ed

re:$ spent but how?

[ed.han]

perfectly reasonable point, but isn't the overage charge horror story one that we all have? i had one in the amount of $600 or so. haven't we all done something like that, or at least know someone who has? and isn't it common for teens and other new user to exceed minutes/txt limitations/month?

see, i think that more ways to spend money is part of it, but i think part of it is also exceeding restrictions/overuse charges.

ed

Spending as a statistic?

[TheLoneGundam]

landline plans start at around 15 USD a month, cell phone plans start at what, 39 USD? So, total dollars spent is meaningless except as a metric for potential businesses to see how much money they can make. It's similar to comparing box office dollar amounts between years -- if the ticket prices is higher in one year than the other, then total dollar comparisons don't reveal anything about usage. A better metric would be the number of land line accounts vs. cell phone accounts

Gave up Cellphone, long live landlines

[Ralph Spoilsport]

I had both for a long time. But I found the expense of the cell exceeded its usefulness and downsides.

The McLuhan inversion of the cellphone is "the tether" and I intensely dislike being at everyone's beck and call, and PAYING for the "privilege", I ditched the cell.

If you want me - land line at either my home or office. If it's less urgent, then email me. If it requires instant attention and I'm on the clock, then IM me. If I'm not responding, instantly, then perhaps I'm TAKING A SHIT AND WANT TO BE LEFT ALONE.

A cell is no guarantee of access anyway - when I did have it, it was usually turned off.

Then there's the downside. My brother ditched landline for cell. We have a conversation. He walks to the otherside of his apartment and he gets dropped. Last night I call a friend who also ditched landline. The conversation w nt som t ng li e th s. Garbage. I was able to get enough to him to tell him to email me with his questions, oh, and ditch the fucking cellphone.

with my landline, I have infinite long distance all over north america. I have DSL and web hosting rolled into it, and with my "extra services" I think I pay around CDN$100 a month.

And I'm a lot happier being "less accessible".

RS