Expenditures on Cellular Phone Services Have Increased Significantly Since 2007

Abstract

In 2007, U.S. consumers spent more on cellular phone service than they did on residential landline phone services for the first time. Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Expenditure Survey (CE) show that expenditures on cellular phone services continue to rise rapidly. This Beyond the Numbers article updates the 2001 through 2007 cell phone spending research published as “Spending on Cell Phone Services Has Exceeded Spending on Residential Phone Services.” Building on that original research, this article compares cellular and residential phone service expenditures by age group, income quintile, and size of consumer unit, from 2007 to 2014.