Can't Live Without It!

It's not even a question of whether we can 'leave home without it' these days... it's clear that Americans are feeling they just can't live without their cell phones! Or at least, we'd rather have them than any other communication technology.  That's one of the major findings of a December 2007 survey conducted by the Pew Internet Project. You can read it all for yourself at  http://www.pewinternet.org/pdfs/PIP_Mobile.Data.Access.pdf , but I'd like to hit just a couple of the highlights. First, let's look at mobile data. According to Pew, 62% of Americans have "experience with mobile access to digital data and tools". 62%!

That is a big number. We're not just talking about 'talk' anymore, but using devices to email, text message, send or receive pictures or videos, surf the internet, play games, watch music.... the list goes on and on. Combine that with the FCC report  http://www.hraun.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attackmatch/DOC-277784A1.pdf that shows how much more quickly wireless broadband is being adopted than other high-speed data technologies (DSL and cable) and it's obvious wireless broadband is becoming an increasingly popular, viable and competitive technology. 

I also want to hit on the numbers of Americans identifying what technology would be hardest to give up. Six years ago, none was easier to forego than cell phones. 38% of Americans said they could give up their cell phone. And today? Well, the cell phone is now the 'must-have'... leading the pack as the technology most difficult to part with at 51%. The Internet is next at 45%, followed by television at 43%, and the old landline telephone sinking into the sunset with just 40% of Americans saying it would be the hardest to say goodbye to. That compares to 63% who felt that way just five years ago.

It's been a remarkable and rapid transformation, but one that is occuring because consumers demand more change and more innovation, and the wireless industry continues to answer their call.