Cellphone-only households on the rise, landlines crying a river

Hold everything -- did you have any idea surging cellphone use was putting a damper on landline utilization? Oh, right, common knowledge. Anywho, a recent study conducted here in America found that three in ten households actually relied solely or primarily on their mobile to communicate. In the latter half of 2007, it was discovered that 16-percent of domiciles didn't even have a landline, while 13-percent had one but took all (or nearly all) of their calls via cell. Just to put things in perspective, only 5-percent of US homes were cellphone-only in 2004, while 1.082-percent had not yet surrendered their can-and-string. If you're one of those number lovers, hold your head up high and hit the read link for lots more data about this totally engrossing topic.

[Image courtesy of Preston LNO]

[Wolfticket @ May 15th 2008 10:39AM]

For many people the main reason for having a land line these days is adsl, not voice calls. I use my mobile all the time, but the land line is the only way I can get fast internet at home.

[duffman @ May 15th 2008 10:42AM]

There is a concept, which may or may not be available in your area, called "naked DSL," which only has DSL and no phone service.

[BT1113 @ May 15th 2008 10:44AM]

Agreed! When comcast lowers it's internet access prices, I won't even want a landline!

[Flashpoint @ May 15th 2008 11:03AM]

Cellular Companies are charging users MORE for their data/voice per month than I am paying for voice/FIOS with Verizon.
I pay just $80 a month which should be about $100 when my area gets FIOS TV.

[Bob @ May 15th 2008 11:38AM]

"When comcast lowers it's internet access prices..."

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!!!!!! That was a good one.

[Timerider @ May 15th 2008 5:12PM]

I can't even get DSL at my house.
My cousin doesn't have a landline because the phone lines don't reach his house.

[Neoprimal @ May 15th 2008 5:32PM]

The only reason I have VoIP and a landline are overseas calling (VoIP) and emergency situations (Landline) - cellphones don't work during/after a hurricane typically, but landlines generally do (unless it's very bad).

But it does indeed make sense to switch to cellphones entirely if you're already just on VoIP. Tmo's 9.99 hotspot at home stuff is awesome and replaces VoIP (as long as you're not calling overseas) entirely.

POTS biggest issue is taxes. I have a bare line, as I said because I just want to be able to make/receive calls if there's some emergency so my service is $13 - that ends up at 25 dollars after taxes. $25!

[I LOVE THE CAPS LOCK KEY @ May 15th 2008 5:41PM]

I don't think I am alone here when I say that landlines are far more dependable. I mean, I don't worry about dropped calls, too few bars, dead batteries, or out dated equipment. During the barrage of hurricanes that hit the south a few years ago, my landline kept ticking while Cell Phone Towers were not taking calls. When I am away from home, I can have all my calls to my home forwarded to either my cell phone or the place where I am staying.

[rock99rock @ May 15th 2008 10:42AM]

Cellphones: They just make more sense.

[Frankenstein Black @ May 15th 2008 11:33AM]

Exactly! In the same way that Marconi & McCaw make Bell and Brown look like schmucks!
PS ask me what that means if you don’t know ;^)...

[rock99rock @ May 15th 2008 12:54PM]

I'll bite. What does that mean? :)

[Frankenstein Black @ May 16th 2008 10:43AM]

Guglielmo Marconi = Radio
Alexander Graham Bell = Land Line Telephone
Charles L. Brown = Ma Bell CEO that back in the day said cell phones were a “gimmick and we don’t need em”.
Craig McCaw = the visionary (and billionaire x times over) that knew better.
Oh, and when his wife took a billion (yes billion) in the divorce settlement, he simply popped his collar, jumped in the plain, transformed and rooooled out!

[Tarnation @ May 15th 2008 10:42AM]

Please everyone knows Cable is better.

[duffman @ May 15th 2008 10:44AM]

Sure, everyone knows cable is faster, but DSL is much cheaper and more widely available in rural areas.

[andy @ May 15th 2008 10:57AM]

Not to mention that my DSL uptime and service consistency on Verizon, SBC, and ATT was FAR superior than my Charter cable is.

AND, when I called the phone companies, I got an American, sometimes even in my region instead of some Indian chick who could only say "pleaze ristart jew cobble mode m", even when my entire area was down and restarting my cable modem wouldn't make any difference at all.

man, I wish I had the DSL option.

[Tarnation @ May 15th 2008 11:05AM]

I have Comcast I have had almost 0 downtime with my cable line. I had to have the line replaced from the road to my house once due to an old line that had been cut and patched. I just like the simplicity of setting up a cable connection. Not to mention the cable modem works so much better with Wifi setups than DSLs annoying modem router setup. My one complaint about my cable connection that has since been resolved was when Comcast was throttling bandwidth on bittorrent downloads, they have since quit doing this. I still have my old Bellsouth/AT&T landline but for other reasons than internet.

[Zak @ May 15th 2008 12:20PM]

Tarnation - if the context is area-specific service, that's not always true. If your local cable company SUCKS ASS, then DSL can actually be much better.

[the_mikehall @ May 15th 2008 2:29PM]

Actually DSL is faster than cable at 8pm on a Tuesday. DSL has consistency, even if it's peak speed is much less than cable's.

[rockintom @ May 15th 2008 6:06PM]

Dsl may be more consistant, but it doesn't matter when no one else in your area has cable :D

Who needs landlines anyway...

[Duarte @ May 15th 2008 10:46AM]

I recently canceled my Bell Canada Digital home line and now only use my bberry & skype for voice communication. I use Bell Optimax so my line was converted to a 'dry loop' in order to keep my service.

[LiqwidZero @ May 15th 2008 10:48AM]

When a telephone company has a geographical monopoly, the only way out is through cell phones. I had my entire family switch to AT&T, and we're dropping our local landline service, soon.

[Ken @ May 15th 2008 10:49AM]

I only see a land line useful for business. Telemarketing calls is the biggest reason I don't use a land line. Have you ever noticed how often people (particularly 30 and under) with landlines don't even pick them up anymore?

[mark @ May 15th 2008 12:27PM]

I've been cell-only for personal communication since '98; but, I've kept my landline for emergencies.

Sometimes a hardline is the only thing still working after a disaster (I'm from SF and remember Loma Prieta). Phone lines also have their own independent power source which can be tapped in an emergency.

[CraigJ @ May 15th 2008 10:50AM]

Cable + Vonage + Cell phones + Grand central = major win. My wife and I each have 1 number that rings our cell, work and home. works great.

[r3loaded @ May 15th 2008 11:04AM]

Similar system in our household: Virgin Media 20Mbit + Vonage + Cellphones for all = win.

Over in India, the landline looks even more extinct (mainly due to crappy quality). I have several family members there who exclusively use cellphones, my grandparents included(!)

[PS3guy @ May 15th 2008 10:50AM]

Pay $100 for unlimited calling plan with AT&T, so no need for landline phone.

[Sporkinum @ May 15th 2008 4:51PM]

I pay $100 for land line, Cable TV w HBO, and DSL.

The only cell phone I carry is supplied by work. I would not have one, if I had to pay for it, as they don't provide enough benefit for the cost for me.

[retro77 @ May 15th 2008 10:51AM]

+1 to no landline....we should start a poll to see how many of us have a land line. I havent had one in probably 3 years.

[Nate Nead @ May 15th 2008 10:52AM]

Okay, I haven't had one in about 4....

[Madoc @ May 15th 2008 10:55AM]

cell only for 8+ years now.

[Dave @ May 15th 2008 10:55AM]

Don't have a cellphone, probably never will. I wish that cellphone topics could be split off into a separate blog (EngadgetCell) for those that care about such things.

[Zal @ May 15th 2008 11:14AM]

Ever heard of EngadgetMobile?

http://www.engadgetmobile.com/

[Joseph Singer @ May 15th 2008 11:27AM]

And no one is forcing anyone to read or reply to anything here either! If you don't want a cellphone don't get one!

[Mobile Phone Diva @ May 15th 2008 12:19PM]

What about in case of emergency? At least get a prepaid for that! If you get stuck somewhere without a phone, it could be dangerous.

[v3xx @ May 15th 2008 3:04PM]

he's probably like a friend of my mother's. she wont get a cell because she thinks the government has nothing better to do than track where she is all day. i want her to get stuck in the middle of nowhere far away from home. i bet before she does anything els she stops by at&t. or he could just be a grumpy old hermit who never leaves the house.

[Chigger @ May 15th 2008 10:58AM]

I've been without a land line phone for 8 years. As others stated, 'It just makes sense'. Why would I pay for a land line when I can get a cell phone that I can use all over the place for the same amount of money?

I must confess, I just had 2 land lines installed... but not by choice. I just started working from home and the company is paying for them. My current mission is to convince them to start using VOIP......

[r3loaded @ May 15th 2008 11:07AM]

Just do a cost-benefit comparision for the top brass. They'll come around to VoIP instantly ;)

[alex @ May 15th 2008 10:58AM]

Landline ? ... I gave up my landline 8 years ago when I realized it was mainly a device by which telemarketers could annoy me ( half the time it being the phone company it self trying to sell me more services ) anyone that knew me called me on my cell.

[fistpittingnork @ May 15th 2008 12:16PM]

Same here. I tried a landline for a couple of months a few years back, but people still had better luck reaching me at my cell. When my landline rang, it was telemarketers, the phone company (also my cable/internet company, so they were common phone calls), and wrong numbers, mainly bill collectors looking for the people who had the number before me.

$30 a month wasted, especially when I pay $50 a month for my cell phone that I can use anywhere.

[Zach Bressler @ May 15th 2008 11:04AM]

I charge my cell phone every night and therefore leave my cell in one place. This makes it difficult to answer when I am in a different part of the house. How would one go about resolving this? I was thinking about a bluetooth connection to my home phone so all the phones around the house would be using teh cell connection. Is that feasible?

[Chigger @ May 15th 2008 11:22AM]

I ran into this exact same scenario. My solution? VOIP. I use MagicJack (http://www.magicjack.com). The VOIP line costs me $20/year for unlimited calling to anywhere stateside. When I'm at home, I forward my cell phone to my VOIP number and use a standard cordless phone for my VOIP line.

[fieldcar @ May 15th 2008 11:26AM]

IntelliTouch XLink Cellular Bluetooth Gateway
http://electronics.pricegrabber.com/other-miscellaneous/m/37172969/search=xlink/st=query/

Description: Turn your home corded and cordless phones into a cellular multi-line phone system. The XLink family of products makes it possible to send and receive cell phones calls using regular telephones. No more searching for your cell phones – just use regular phones at home or in the office. Almost any cell phone with Bluetooth wireless technology will work with XLink. The XLink can simultaneously connect to three different cell phones one for each family member! As many standard telephones as desired can be plugged into the back of the XLink. Whenever any of the connected cell phones ring, all the standard telephones ring also!

[Joseph Singer @ May 15th 2008 11:29AM]

Try Dock 'N Talk

[Matt @ May 15th 2008 11:14AM]

I am a Skype and Cell user here. Really besides calling faimly and friends a couple of times a week I never talk to (or want to talk to) anyone else on the phone.

[Greenleaf @ May 15th 2008 11:16AM]

My wife and I haven't had a landline since she graduated university and we bought our house. It's one less bill we have to pay, though it does leave us stuck with Comcast for our internet service.

Before we bought the house we only had a landline because it came with the apartment we lived in on campus. Only people that ever called us on that landline were professors and other university staff.

[bobgorila @ May 15th 2008 11:19AM]

Wish someone offered naked DSL in the UK, I'd junk my landline in a heartbeat.

[Evan @ May 15th 2008 11:21AM]

Count me as a cellphone-only household. When I moved and Bell wanted to charge me $55 to move my phone service and couldn't do it for two weeks after my move date, I said bye-bye to the land line.

Not only has the cell-phone only been more convenient (only one number, no forwarding to setup), it's also CHEAPER to have a cell phone with a moderate plan than to have a land-line plus a cell-phone with a minimal plan!

The only wired connect I have going into my home is cable, and that's only for internet (no television services).

[Matt @ May 15th 2008 11:25AM]

At any cost a landline is a waste of my money.

[giantenemycrab @ May 15th 2008 11:26AM]

Of course, it makes sense.Why bother with a home phone if you can have a cell phone, that's always with you, and not bother with the needless charges. Sorry landline, you're outdated and overpriced, a deadly combination. It makes even more sense now that all the major carriers have those $99 unlimited plans.

[Rob @ May 15th 2008 11:46AM]

I haven't used a land line in about 1.5 years. I use my cell, and I'm pleased. We have the family plan, which is about $70, including two phone lines and 700mns a month. The best part of using a cell, at least for us, is that most of my extended family uses the same wireless company as well. So, we can talk and talk for free. I don't see a reason to own a land line. In this day and age, owning a cell is a necessity more than a luxury. So, if you must have a phone, might as well just go for the cell.