Welcome to

Cell phones are phasing out traditional landline phones in Florida. One out of every six Floridians has cancelled their landline service, but as Whitney Ray tells us, cell phones haven’t won the communication battle just yet.

Hear it Here: More Floridians Are Using Cell Phones, Some Still Prefer Landlines

Seventy Seven year old Patty Parkhurst still remembers the number she dialed to call home when she was a kid.

“Our phone numbers was 244 everybody knew that,” said Patty.

Now days it takes a few more digits to make a call, and while you may reach the person you dialed there’s no guarantee that person is at home. Mobile phones are all the rage. There are more than 15 million of them in use in Florida and one in six Floridians has nixed their landline.

“I use my cell phone as my landline,” said FSU graduate Jeremy Schwartz.

“It’s easier to reach someone on their cell phone,” said Mariana Abreu, a FSU Junior.

Convenient for some frustrating to others. Some seniors say the numbers are too small and the key pad is confusing, that’s why they’re not giving up their landlines. Patty’s daughter bought her a cell phone two years ago. She’s only used it once. We helped her turn it on.

“The buttons don’t mean anything to me, I don’t understand the symbols,” said Patty.

Needless to say Patty only makes calls from her landline at home. The Public Service Commission says that’s not a bad thing and people still need home phones.

“Land lines are important for hurricanes and storms, although there are 1.2 million households that are wireless only, landlines have not lost their market share,” Cindy Muir, a spokesperson for the Public Service Commission.

Despite the drop in the use in bulky phones with big buttons and cords… there are still more land lines in Florida than cell phones.

“I guess I’m not going to do anything because something failed,” Patty said while her cell phone gave her a message that read SIM Card Failed.

Which is good news to Patty, who will drive home before she calls her family, and will keep her cell phone on in case there’s an emergency. More people using cell phones means more tax dollars in the state treasury. Cell phone users pay more taxes than landline users.