In started in the early 21st century, when users of landline telephone declined due to the advancements of mobile network technologies, and also because of the ageing copper wire networking.
With copper wires being replaced with more efficient broadband and fiber optic landline connections, the process further reduced the number of users that rely on landline telephones. In a study by the U.S. government, it was found that less than half of American households have landline telephones in the second half of 2018.
This is a massive decrease of landline users.
For comparison, in 2002, only 10 percent of the world’s population used cellphones. In 2004, about 45 percent of people between the ages of 12 and 17 owned cellphones. At that time, they had to rely on landline telephones. And by 2005 that percentage had risen to 46 percent. In 2008, that percentage climbed to about 71 percent. And at that same year, about 77 percent of adults owned a mobile phone.
By the end of 2009, there were a total of about 6 billion mobile and fixed-line telephone subscribers worldwide. This included 1.26 billion fixed-line subscribers and 4.6 billion mobile subscribers.
In 2013, 91 percent of adults in developed nations owned a mobile phone, with 60 percent of them owning a smartphone.
Then in 2017, it was showed that only 45.9 percent of households still had landlines, while 50.8 percent had only cellphones. Over 39 percent had both.
In developing nations, the number of landlines is said to be more stable. But mobile adoption increases very rapidly. In Africa for example, cellphones are bringing parts of the continent into the digital age, allowing some regions to even bypass landline development altogether. A majority of adults in Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya, Ghana, Senegal, Nigeria and South Africa owned cellphones since 2014.
The shift from landline to wireless isn’t surprising.
According to telecommunications experts, this is for a number of reasons: Cellphones can do more than landline phones; cell service quality and connectivity have become increasingly reliable; and many people who grew up in the age of cellphones and data plans have never even used a landline.
So here, generation is also part of the shift.
While landline phones have been known to be more reliable than cellphones, particularly during emergencies. Like for example, they work during power outages, whereas cellphones required charging. But cellphones can do a whole lot more. Built with software and more competent components, cellphones give users more control over when and how they can be reached, having the ability to whitelist or blacklist callers, placing "do not disturb" at customized times and many many more.
Landline was once associated with home ownership and stability. But with cellphones becoming more popular than landlines, this isn't the case anymore.
