Time was when a person used a phone for calls. Yet, for the first time in the United States, the amount of data in text, email messages, streaming video, music and other services on mobile
devices in 2009 surpassed the amount of voice data in cellphone calls, industry executives and analysts tell The New York Times. "For many Americans, cellphones have become irreplaceable tools to
manage their lives and stay connected to the outside world, their families and networks of friends online," writes The Times.
"But increasingly, by several measures, that does not mean
talking on them very much." While nearly 90% of U.S. households now have a cellphone, the growth in voice minutes used by consumers has stagnated, according to government and industry data cited by
The Times. What's more, figures from the CTIA show that over the last two years, the average number of voice minutes per user in the United States has fallen. Meanwhile, the number of text messages
sent per user increased by nearly 50% nationwide last year, according to the CTIA, the wireless industry association.