For the first time ever, there are more wireless subscriber connections than there are people in the United States.
According to a survey by the CTIA, an advocacy firm for the Wireless Telecommunications Industry, wireless subscriptions in the U.S. are up to 327.6 million, while the U.S. population sits at 315.5 million. If you've got multiple wireless devices--a personal smartphone, a work smartphone, a tablet, an e-reader, perhaps a PDA--you are contributing to a new era in American society, in which there are more wireless-enabled devices than people.
The incredible numbers don't stop there, however, as the CTIA survey shows an increasingly connected United States.
Connected device usage is increasing dramatically. Culling data from "companies serving 95.5% of wireless subscriber connections" the CTIA found that:
- Americans sent and received 1.138 trillion text messages from January 2011 to June 2011.- There are 95.8 million active smartphones and PDAs, a 57 percent increase from this time in 2010.- The average monthly phone bill, including data and voice, is now $47.23.- The average phone call length is about 1 minute and 48 seconds (Compared to average call lengths above 3 minutes in 2005).
For more statistics on the ways in which Americans are using their connected devices in 2011, check out the CTIA website here.
The CTIA survey is just the latest evidence of a multi-device owning, multi-device using America. Comscore recently reported that smartphones and tablets were behind almost seven percent of all U.S. digital traffic, while Pew released survey showing that 35 percent of American adults owned smartphones. That number is only rising, with smartphone adoption being led by 25-34 year-olds, according to another ComScore survey on smartphone audience by age group. J.D Power's research into how people are using their phones also supports CTIA's findings that people are more connected, but speaking less: J.D. Power found, "On average, wireless customers use 450 minutes per month, a decline of 77 minutes from 527 in 2009. " Still, though, the key finding from the CTIA report--that the number of wireless devices in the United States is higher than the U.S. population--means that many Americans are holding more than one connected gadget.
Are you contributing to this number? How many connected devices do you have? Sound off and show off your connectivity in the comments below.