New Graph Shows a Decline in Landlines

When landline technology emerged in the 1960s, homes across the U.S. rushed to implement this exciting new way to communicate. Although many adults remember living in a home with a landline, the traditional landline phone has vanished from most households. This graph from the Ooma team shows us when exactly landlines faded from popularity.

The graph gathers data between 1960 and 2018 to show us the percentage of landlines in homes in each state. We can see that across the board, homes in the Northeast and Midwest have always had the highest number of homes with landlines. Landline numbers take a sharp dive between 2000 and 2010 as mobile phone technology sweeps the nations and replaces the humble landline.

Landlines continue to decline as phone companies are no longer required to provide them. So many people find cell phones more convenient and accessible that the landline just doesn’t serve a purpose in the modern era. While there will always be hangers-on, the landline is a prime example of how and why some technologies become obsolete as new and improved replacements develop.