WASHINGTON-More than one third of adults with landline telephone service say they’re ready to cut the cord and use only mobile phones at home in the next two years, according to a new survey.
“People seem to be excited about new communications options,” said Susan Grant, vice president for public policy at the National Consumers League. “More choices are good for consumers, but they need help navigating this increasingly complex communications marketplace.”
NCL, a nonprofit education and advocacy organization based here, said it commissioned the telephone survey of 1,000 adults, conducted by Harris Interactive, to better understand consumers’ current and future use of telephone, Internet and television services such as cable and satellite.
Consumers are most satisfied with the services for which they believe they have a choice of providers-landline telephone, wireless telephone and Internet services, according to the survey. NCL said cable television service, which tends to be provided by monopoly franchise operators and thus offers consumers little choice, rated lowest in terms of satisfaction with quality and value.
NCL found that 47 percent of surveyed adults with cell-phone service have switched providers.
The survey also showed that consumers are interested in bundles of services-if the price is right. But some find it hard to comparison shop for services, and advertisements don’t give them all the information they need to do so. Twenty-six percent of respondents said it is difficult to understand their phone bills.
