Pity the poor old fixed-line telephone. Not only is it now being hollowed out by VOIP technology; it has also been upstaged in recent years by the mobile phone, a far more glamorous, capable and personal device. The fixed-line phone looks old-fashioned by comparison. Where is the colour screen, the camera, the funky ringtone? What, no text messaging? No wonder mobiles now outnumber fixed phones, and that voice traffic is migrating from fixed to mobile networks. Some people are even "cutting the cord"-ditching fixed lines altogether in favour of mobile phones. The proportion of "mobile-only" households is approaching 10% in America, around 15% in western Europe and over 35% in Finland.
展开▼
