US hangs up on fixed-line phones

A quarter of mobile phone users consider it their primary means of communication

Three-quarters of US adults currently subscribe to mobile phone services, new research has found.

However, the study by Harris Interactive also reveals that more US individuals have mobiles than landlines, which are used by only 58 per cent of respondents.

About one-quarter of mobile phone users consider the mobile phone their primary means of communication, and two in five say their mobile phone provides them with a sense of 'personal security'.

According to the nationwide online survey of 1,125 US adults conducted by Harris Interactive between 9 and 14 August, one in 10 US adults have abandoned their wireline telephone service in favour of their wireless phone.

Another five per cent said that they were 'seriously' considering such a move and would switch within a year, and 47 per cent said that they were considering it 'somewhat'.

Currently, around 13 per cent of US adults use only a mobile phone or plan to do so within the next six months.

Joe Porus, vice president and chief architect at Harris Interactive, said: " More and more consumers are cutting the cord and going wireless only.

"Ultimately consumers see wireless as a more convenient, cost effective and personal form of communication."

More than half of those who plan to use only a mobile phone six months from now say this is because they like the flexibility, while 30 per cent say that their wireless plan is actually cheaper than their fixed-line plan.

Despite the high percentage of current cellphone users, many adults are reluctant to discontinue their wireline service and go exclusively with wireless or VoIP services.

Almost 40 per cent of those keeping wireline say it is because the service works even when the power is out.

Other key reasons cited for keeping a wireline service are the ability to call local emergency numbers (31 per cent), excellent network reliability/no dropped calls (31 per cent) and the ability to always get a dial tone (25 per cent).