The importance of the phone anno 2026
The available data indicates the following regarding mobile connectivity in California:
From 2017 data: 92% of Californians say they have a cell phone, with 58% of those users owning a smartphone (PPIC, 2017).
In 2024, 99.3% of Californians report to have access to a phone number.
In 2024, 0.7% of Californians are reported as phoneless (having no landline and no cell phone), totaling approximately 211,829 people (Chamber of Commerce, 2024).
Internet Access: A noteworthy portion of the population lacks high-speed internet. Approximately 9% of California households do not have an internet subscription, and another about 3% are underconnected ,relying solely on a smartphone’s cell network without a desktop or laptop.
Life without a phone number
While legally permissible to live without a phone, the practical barriers remain very high. Many essential services (banking, healthcare portals, two-factor authentication) effectively mandate a number for access.
Nowadays, securing a job is extremely difficult without a phone number, as most applications and hiring processes are conducted online and require direct contact. Similarly, opening bank accounts, accessing government services, and managing daily finances increasingly rely on digital verification and mobile apps, though some institutions still offer in-person or mail-based alternatives for older demographics.
Socially, lacking a phone (number) creates a severe handicap for teens and young adults, as group chats, event planning, and social coordination happen almost exclusively via text and social media.
In urban environments, the absence of a mobile device hinders the use of ride-sharing, digital payments, and navigation, whereas small towns or rural communities may remain more accessible using landlines, cash, and face-to-face interaction.
Being without a phone (number) is more feasible for retirees or those with independent means who do not rely on digital job markets or modern social networks. Some individuals use VoIP services (like Google Voice) or landlines to maintain a phone number for essential two-factor authentication and banking without owning a mobile device, but completely avoiding any phone number is increasingly rare and often impractical for basic societal participation.
People without a legal address or otherwise lacking documentation can have difficulty getting a phone (number) and/or internet connection and may have to resort to relying on a public phone booth.
The pay phone booth has disappeared
Once the public pay phone booth was a useful means to connect to the phone network. Nowadays making international phone calls or making calls for those without a phone number, is just about the only purpose left for the few phone booth that remain.
After peaking at 2.6 million units in the mid-1990s, companies like AT&T (2007) and Verizon (2011) exited the pay phone market, while cities often removed remaining units due to crime concerns or replaced them with modern LinkNYC kiosks.
Even iconic phone booths are disappearing
Beyond general obsolescence, specific iconic booths have unique histories of vanishing:
Mojave Phone Booth: This solitary booth in the Nevada desert became an internet sensation after a 1997 letter described its remote location. It was removed in May 2000 by Pacific Bell at the request of the National Park Service to stop visitors from leaving litter and damaging the preserve.
Menatel (Egypt): Once a dominant network of 33,400 green-and-yellow booths, the Menatel company collapsed under 50 million pounds in debt as mobile phones became cheaper. The company was sold to Telecom Egypt, and the booths were left as rusting ruins.
Santa Cruz “Dead Ocean” Booth: In 2025, artists secretly converted an abandoned booth into a poetry shrine for grief. It was quietly removed by authorities because the structure belonged to AT&T, and the city assumed no liability for unauthorized installations on private infrastructure.
Wind Phone (Japan): Built by Itaru Sasaki in 2010 to help him grieve his cousin, this disconnected booth was opened to the public after the 2011 tsunami. It remains a site for mourning, though it is not a functional telephone.