BOSTON-Wireless usage is accelerating the decline of landline use, according to a new study by the Yankee Group.
The report said the number of U.S. households that have completely cut the cord remains small. However, half of wireless households report that wireless usage has replaced some, a significant amount or all of their regular telephone usage. The biggest impact is in long-distance minutes, where wireless users say they make about 43 percent of their long-distance calls with a wireless device.
“As the lines between wireline and wireless product definitions blur, an undeniable connection can be traced between mobility’s expanding product scope and a decline in wireline usage,” said Katie Griffin, consumer technologies and services senior analyst at the Yankee Group. “Further, the expanding availability of cable telephony offerings is introducing alternatives to consumers. By far, the most vulnerable area is the long-distance market. These trends have precipitated the death of distance and eventually will result in the death of the minute as the measure of the market.”
The report, “2003 TAF Survey Findings Highlight the Consumer Market’s Competitive Challenges,” is based on results from the Yankee Group’s Technologically Advanced Family survey.
