Skip to: Content
Skip to: Site Navigation
Skip to: Search

October 12, 2008 7:59:53 AM CDT

Learn about Newser Points »

« Back to the grid | Next story »

Cell Phone Market Nears Saturation

Posted May 30, 08 8:46 AM CDT in Business,  Technology 

(Newser) – The number of Americans signing up for cell phone service is slowing down after more than a decade of explosive growth, reports USA Today. Within a couple of years, experts say, just about everybody who wants a cell phone will have one, meaning good news for consumers as companies focus on luring each other's customers away instead of signing up new ones.

"The vision of every adult in America having a cell phone is a great aspiration until you get there," an industry analyst said. "Then it raises the obvious question: Now what?" Telecom giants such as Sprint, AT&T, and Verizon are hoping that the rise of wireless data will offset slowing growth in the increasingly saturated market.

Source USA Today

0 comments | Print E-mail | Digg Seed this on Newsvine Add this link to Del.icio.us StumbleUpon

Related Newser Stories

  • Google Keeps Up Battle for Open-Access Cells

    Sep 27, 08 8:12 PM CDT
    Google Keeps Up Battle for Open-Access Cells Google renewed its battle for open cell phone networks this week by filing for a new patent, CNET reports. The search giant filed to free smartphones from network-carrier agreements so users can tap into whatever connection is strongest and most affordable. But carriers mostly resist the notion, saying tight networks are needed to ensure quality and security. More »

  • Verizon Seeks Alltel Deal, Challenge to Top Dog AT&T

    Jun 4, 08 4:06 PM CDT
    Verizon Seeks Alltel Deal, Challenge to Top Dog AT&T Verizon Communications is in negotiations to buy wireless carrier Alltel, a merger that would cover 80 million US subscribers and create the nation's biggest cell-phone company, the Wall Street Journal reports—though the potential $27 billion deal could easily fall through. But if it's consummated, and the feds see no antitrust problems, the new company would surpass AT&T, with 71 million customers, as No. 1. More »

  • FCC to Examine Cancellation Fees for Cable, Phone, Web

    May 31, 08 1:02 PM CDT
    FCC to Examine Cancellation Fees for Cable, Phone, Web The FCC says next month’s hearing on cell phone cancellation fees may also include similar charges leveled by cable and Internet providers. Chairman Kevin Martin hopes the hearing will ease consumer tension over the fees, which were among cell phone users’ five most common complaints last year, the Washington Post reports. The fees typically range from $150-200. More »

  • Cellphone Sales Drop

    May 20, 08 2:35 AM CDT
    Cellphone Sales Drop The cellphone market is experiencing a significant sales slide, with the most serious decline so far among lower-income users, reports the Wall Street Journal. Studies reveal first quarter sales dips ranging from 5% to  22%. Analysts expect growth to slow even further. The market may be reaching saturation with 83% of Americans owning cellphones. More »

  • Consumers Giving Up Landlines

    May 14, 08 8:29 AM CDT
    Consumers Giving Up Landlines Mobile and Internet-based phones are replacing landline phones in US households as younger Americans lead a movement to newer technologies, reports USA Today. The number of homes depending on wireless phones jumped 159% between 2004 and 2007. Nearly 35% of people 25-29 years old lived in wireless-only households in the second half of 2007, more than double the percentage of wireless-only 30-44 year olds. More »

"The vision of every adult in America having a cellphone is a great aspiration until you get there," a telecoms busines expert said. "Then it raises the obvious question: Now what?"   (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Motorola cell phones are displayed in a New York store in this March 26, 2008, file photo. The number of cellphone subscribers in the US jumped 33.8 million to 255.4 million between 1995 and 2007.   (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File)
The number of cellphone users has been growing rapidly for over 10 years but the market is now getting close to the point where everybody who wants a cellphone has one.   ((c) alt1040)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
Our editors also recommend:

Threads (
1
 of 3)

Tags

cell phones  • Verizon  • cell phone industry  • wireless  • AT&T  • Sprint Nextel


Loading...

Premium Articles from HighBeam

Find more articles like this

Today's Most Popular

Loading...

Other Technology Stories

What is Newser?

2008 Codie Finalist

Newser gives you more news in less time. We search for the best and most important stories all over the web, read them for you, and deliver concise and sharp summaries—along with links to the full text. Newser provides a way to stay on top of an ever-expanding horizon of news and opinion—politics, sports, business, trends, technology, personalities, crimes, and controversies. Newser keeps you not just better informed, but, with our signature graphic interface and smart condensed format, more enjoyably informed.

Learn more »