Internet-based telephone services are slowly replacing traditional landline phone services, according to a new study by Telephia. Of households already subscribing to Internet telephony services, 53 percent of those considered "high-tech" -- subscribing to at least three emerging services such as satellite radio, video-on-demand and broadband -- have now disconnected their landline phones. Those surveyed identified savings on phone calls as the main factor in making the switch. "Cost savings and seamless integration of different communication services provide a compelling one-two punch for Internet telephony," said Kanishka Agarwal, the vice president of new products at Telephia. Of the households surveyed who have not yet disconnected their landlines, most cited their availability during a power outage as the main reason. More than a third also cited the importance of keeping their current phone numbers.
The global streaming industry has spent the better part of a decade chasing subscriber counts as the primary metric of success. That era is now formally over. New market data from Omdia confirms that the industry has crossed a decisive threshold; one that shifts the competitive playing field from growth-at-all-costs to monetization discipline. For senior executives navigating media, advertising, and technology strategy, the implications extend well beyond entertainment. A Historic Revenue Crossover Online video revenue increased 13.5 percent to $176 billion in 2025, while pay-TV revenue declined 4 percent to $170 billion; marking the first time in the industry's history that streaming has surpassed legacy pay-TV in revenue terms. This is not a rounding error or a statistical artifact; it represents the culmination of more than a decade of structural disruption to the traditional broadcast and cable TV model. Global subscriptions to online video services reached 2.24 billion by the ...