More U.S. Households Going Wireless
A new Nielson Mobile survey reveals that more than 20 million households, or nearly 17% of the total in the United States, are using only mobile phones for their home telecommunications. The survey also predicts that percentage could rise to 20% by year’s end, and indicates that the driving force behind this trend is to lower household bills.
Dubbed “cord cutters” by the survey writers, these mobile phone-only users tend to have lower income levels, are smaller households (1-2 residents), are younger, and not surprisingly, use their mobile devices more than their landline peers – yet still save an average of $33 per month. Cord cutters are also more likely to use a cable modem for Internet access, and conversely, less likely to have DSL.
In an interesting twist to the findings, ten percent of landline phone customers who experimented with wireless-only in their household switched back. The primary reason for the return to landline services was a need for other services, such as satellite TV and pay-per-view. The third most common reason for the switch back was that it was cheaper to bundle Internet and television with a landline phone service.
As wireless services continue to expand, the trend towards a cordless home will undoubtedly continue. Anritsu is helping in the deployment of technologies such as WiMAX, LTE, and HSPA so that Next Generation Networks (NGNs) can provide this era of cord cutters with access to everything they need. For example, our handheld WiMAX test instruments are highlighted in this issue’s Microwaves/RF section, while our portfolio of HSPA products is outlined in the Wireless section.
Additionally, Anritsu has a portfolio of products that is helping cable companies and other triple play providers with the test solutions they need to ensure the quality of service (QoS) for those that continue to look to the cord for telecommunications. Instruments for those applications can be found in the Optical/IP and Fiber sections of this newsletter. You can also visit www.us.anritsu.com.
