There was a time if you wanted to make a call, the nearest
phone booth was probably at the back of your local candy store. Those
disappeared when phone companies installed street-corner booths. Urban
vandalism combined with the advent of the mobile phone facilitated the
disappearance of virtually all of those as well.
Phone booths, street kiosks, and actual telephone books as
well are about to have company joining them in the “Land of What-Used-To-Be.”
As consumers continue moving to wireless, states are passing laws to end the
requirement that phone companies provide land-line services. You know, wires
that connected to that device hanging on your kitchen wall or resting on an end
table.
Back in the last century we used to track phone company
land-line brands in our Customer Loyalty Engagement Index, but of course no
more. In fact, in 2000 we started to include cell phone-only consumers in our
Index research just to make sure we didn’t miss that particular segment of
consumers. Back then, it was only 5% of the national sample. A dozen years
later it ‘s 20% of the sample, and appears that it is only going to get bigger.
We estimate that by mid-this year nearly a third of U.S.
households will have gone totally wireless. But happily, we do measure loyalty
and engagement among the national wireless phone service brands, and here’s how
they rank:
- AT&T Wireless
- Verizon Wireless
- Sprint PCS
- T-Mobile
Phone companies and states advocating the deregulation of
land-line phone service say it will allow carriers to invest in new technology
rather than what appears to be a dying service offering. Advocates for
land-lines think they offer a lifeline for consumers and an affordable service,
especially in rural areas.
One can only imagine what the next generation of telephonic
devices will be that replace current smartphones. But we can leave you with
this advice: When all other means of communication fail, try words!
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