Why does cell phone service cost more than wired?

Edwards Finance > Phones

Q. Why does cell phone service cost MORE than landline service? I can get a basic no frills wired phone service for abt $15 a month. Now doesn't a wired phone require way more "infrastructure" in the form of wire and telephone polls and such? And isn't a wireless cell phone LESS infrastructure intensive in that you only need the towers and switching gear? I mean.... in third world countries they setup wireless service rather than wired service cause it is easier and less equip needed So why does cell phone service cost more than wired service?

A. Well that's my point I guess....... it just occurred to me that EVEN I am guilty of this.....cause Ive been brainwashed in thinking that cell service SHOUL cost more than wired service? I guess i just had an "epiphany" or sorts the other day. And really cell service should cost LESS huh? It's just a matter of time. Cellphone service is still evolving, with data rates and phone features improving, so they're still investing in it. Competition is fierce, so it probably has more to do with the real costs of providing the service rather than just the fact that people are willing to pay it. I think cellphone will be cheaper than landline in the not too distance future, in fact I think they're already close. Personally, I know local service costs a lot more than $15 in our area. Plus, landlines charge extra money for completely automated features like caller-id that cost almost nothing to provide, and cellphones don't. And then there's "long-distance" which is now sort of a junk fee that might go away entirely (domestically at least) - I already have relatives that call from cellphones because it's cheaper. I'm still amazed by how people use cell phones. Just the upfront disclaimers: I've got no beef if this is how you want to spend your money. I don't really have any more beef with anyone using it in their car than I do with them eating a sandwich or doing their makeup while driving (with any of these driving should take precedence). All that being said, though: I don't get how people have a need to talk to other people constantly. It's not just a 'I've got it in case something happens' phone. It's a "I've got to be talking to someone all the time wherever I am" phone. I also get lost in the notion that it's for 'safety' but many of the same people claiming 'safety' as their reason for getting it don't even know how to change a tire and won't learn. So, they'll toss $50+/month on a cellphone for 'safety' but won't learn how to change a tire. If safety were really that important, it seems like the (free) learning how to change a tire would be right up there. One other thing: People who wouldn't otherwise use their land-line phone at home except for the occassional call back to mom or to friends and family use their cellphone *much* more in my observations.

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