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, e-mail 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.