Alpine Communications Blog

Maybe we are fortunate beings for our techno-gadget isolation?

Sign of the Times: iPhone Sales to Soar, Landlines to Decline  by Ron Lee

Amidst today’s iPhone launch hype and hoopla, there’s also less publicized but telling news of the impact cell phones are having (and will have) on landlines (hard-wired phones) and phone directories. It’s a sign of the times, reflecting a mobile society and technological advances.

Various reports, including ones cited by Newsweek.com/MSNBC.com, and by CTIA, The Wireless Association, have cited that more than 8 percent of American households (24 million people) today have selected wireless phones as their only phone, and that as many as 6 million more tech-savvy consumers intend to “cut the cord” in the not too distant future (and no doubt among this crowd will be some of the millions of anticipated new iPhone owners).

The number of landlines has been on the decline since 2001, due to use of email, broadband, texting, mobile web browsing, and cell-phone-number portability. That decline in landlines is also resulting in slimmed down phone directories, even in high-growth cities.

In one report by the New York Times, the big fat phone book is losing weight, even as city populations rise. In fact, the article recounts how the 2007 Verizon White Pages for Manhattan slimmed down 142 pages from the 2006 edition, even as the city grew by 10,000 people in a year.

So, if you are among the lucky ones to snag a fresh new iPhone tonight and are considering joining the ranks of the wireless-only, remember that there are pros (one phone, one number, fewer bills) and cons (reception, battery power, running up your bill) to going wireless only. 

But if you do cut the cord, just don’t lose your cell phone.