Young Adults Abandon Landlines

Americans aged 18 to 24 are increasingly likely to see their mobile as their main 'phone and are beginning to give up on 'land lines' according to The Yankee Group's 2003 Mobile User Young Adult Survey. As yet, only 12% of them have actually replaced their landline phones with wireless, but another 28 percent are planning to 'cut the cord' over the next 5 years.

By contrast, fewer than 4% of those over 24 years of age had abandoned their landline.

'The mobile phone has become the essential means of communications, making the landline phone a supplemental and increasingly non-essential item, particularly among young adults and college students who are often not home and who frequently change address', says Linda Barrabee, Yankee Group Wireless/Mobile United States senior analyst. 'Young adults are leading this movement because they seek to stay connected and are more open to changing traditional communications habits'.

The survey provides insight into the spending of young adults in the US and helps service providers, device manufacturers, content providers, and retailers understand and leverage this market. More information is available at www.yankeegroup.com/public/products/survey/surveys.jsp

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas unless otherwise stated.

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