Talking Less, Paying More for Voice

The largest US wireless carriers are working on ways to keep their customers paying up for something they do less and less -- making phone calls.

In a sea change for consumer behavior, the amount of time spent making old-fashioned voice calls has fallen every year since Apple introduced the iPhone in 2007. The rub for carriers is that voice billings still account for about two-thirds of what they charge cellphone customers every month. To make sure monthly billings don't follow usage downhill, carriers expect to get rid of plans that let contract subscribers buy only the number of minutes they need and replace them with a flat rate covering unlimited calls. Carriers say a move to unlimited-only calling plans would simplify what can be a confusing array of options. But it also would keep a cash cow healthy by depriving customers of the option to trade down to cheaper plans -- even as their phone use drops as they spend more time texting and using Internet-based calling services such as Skype.