Landline use plunges to just 1% of U.S. adults as mobile phones take over
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Landline use in the U.S. has dropped drastically, from 95% of adults in 2003 to just 1% in 2022 relying solely on landlines.
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The rise of smartphones since 2007 was a major factor in the decline of landlines. People now rely on mobiles for connectivity.
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Older adults 65+ are the only age group where a majority still have landlines - over 50% compared to 73% of adults overall now living in wireless-only households.
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Landlines can serve as a backup during mobile outages, as suggested by the San Francisco Fire Department during this week's AT&T failure.
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The outage causes some to appreciate keeping landlines, but experts are skeptical it will reverse the strong trend toward wireless-only households.