U.S. Cell Phone Subscribers Top 250 Million

Technology blog Gearlog reports that according to the CTIA-Wireless Association, over 250 million Americans now subscribe to a cellular-phone service. That puts overall subscriber penetration at 82 percent, and is more than four times the number of subscribers the U.S. had a decade ago.

If anyone needs more justification why wireless carriers, phone vendors, studios, magazines, newspapers, and other media outlets are trying so hard to figure out what consumers want on mobile, it’s this. Unlike with other gadgets, such as the Sony PSP with its failed UMD media format, or all those forgotten CD-i “interactive” components from the 1990′s, practically everyone already has a cell phone. There’s no cost of entry other than signing up for a service, or using a free one that’s ad-sponsored.

U.S. Cell-Phone Penetration Tops 82 Percent [Gearlog]

Join Baratunde Thurston (left), The Onion’s Director of Digital and author of How to Be Black, for an entertaining look at creative social media campaigns in our Social Media Marketing Boot Camp starting February 16. Other speakers include Morin Oluwole (Facebook), Tim Devane (bitly), and SocialTimes' writer Devon Glenn.   Register now.