Nielsen says Americans are letting go of phone lines

Jim Barthold — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 09:44:08 -0400

Free spirited Americans are becoming even less tethered. As many as one in five U.S. telephone owning households--more than 20 million in all--could be wireless-only by the end of the year, according to a new study from Nielsen Mobile, which points to improved wireless data and the need to cut household expenses as driving the flight.

In a subtly titled report, "Call My Cell: Wireless Substitution in the United States," Nielsen, better known for tracking audiences for such smash television fare as "America's Got Talent," concludes that America's got a hankering for cell phone service and landline providers are the biggest losers in the equation.

Some of the report's big findings include: cord cutters have lower income levels; they belong to smaller households; they tend to move or change jobs and don't sign up for new landline service; and they use their phones more than their landline peers. Here's the interesting part, they "save an average $33 per month."

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