Households Opt for Cell Service over Landlines

More and more Americans are cutting the cord and doing without a landline phone, according to recent results from the Nielsen Convergence Audit. The Nielsen annual survey found that one in five households relies entirely on mobile phones.

Last year, 21 percent of U.S. households were cellular-only—an increase from 18 percent in 2008 and 15 percent the two previous years. According to Nielsen, this change is attributed to people who have dropped their landlines and young adults who have elected not to start landline service when establishing a new household. Additionally, cost is another factor, as people are ending landline service in an attempt to cut costs during tough economic times.

Looking ahead, the cellular-only habits of young people signal that decline of landline usage is a trend that will continue.