More woe for fixed-line telcos: Americans now spend more for mobile phones than landline phone services, says the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
In 2007 - the latest year for official figures - 54% of all consumer phone expenditures were on mobile. Landlines made up 43%, with the remaining 2% going for other services such as pagers and phone cards.
It is the first time mobile phones have topped landlines in annual consumer spending as monitored by BLS. Landlines had a majority share as recently as 2003, when they grabbed 65% of all US phone expenditures. But they started dropping rapidly after that, going to 60% in 2004, 54% in 2005, and hitting 50% in 2006.
Telecom services are big business. The typical US consumer circa 2007 spent $1,110 on phone services, with $608 going to mobile, $482 for landlines, and $20 for other services (guess the directory assistance calls add up). Consumers under the age of 25 direct 75 percent of their phone dollars to mobile phones, with percentages dropping for each upward move on the age ladder.
For more: - Sacramento Biz Journal. Article.