CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- More West Virginians are using wireless phones than traditional landline phones, leaving the state's largest landline provider devising different options to keep their lines occupied.

In 2004, more than 1 million West Virginians had landline phones, and just more than 750,000 had wireless phones, according to the Federal Communications Commission.

Just two years later, wireless phones outpaced landline phones for the first time, 1 million to about 947,000.

The latest numbers, for 2007, show the gap widening, with nearly 1.2 million wireless phones and 912,000 landline phones.

So what do all these numbers mean for Verizon West Virginia, which operates more than 80 percent of the state's landlines?

Nationwide, Verizon is losing 8 to 9 percent of landline customers per year, and West Virginia is "tracking a little bit behind that," said B. Keith Fulton, president of Verizon West Virginia.

According to a September 2008 Nielsen Mobile research study, at the end of 2007, 16.4 percent of U.S. households had abandoned their landlines for wireless by the end of 2007.

Most people who have dropped their landline service make less money [$50,000 or less], are younger [18 to 34 years old] and live in a household with just one or two people, according to the Nielsen survey. 

"There are so many forms of communication right now, " Fulton said. "We have to try to make sure our services are competitive."

To keep customers on the company's landlines, Verizon offers service bundles that allow customers to use a wireless phone for their home phone service and their traditional landline for broadband Internet, all on one bill.

In 2004, more than 1 million West Virginians had landline phones, and just more than 750,000 had wireless phones, according to the Federal Communications Commission.

Just two years later, wireless phones outpaced landline phones for the first time, 1 million to about 947,000.

The latest numbers, for 2007, show the gap widening, with nearly 1.2 million wireless phones and 912,000 landline phones.

So what do all these numbers mean for Verizon West Virginia, which operates more than 80 percent of the state's landlines?

Nationwide, Verizon is losing 8 to 9 percent of landline customers per year, and West Virginia is "tracking a little bit behind that," said B. Keith Fulton, president of Verizon West Virginia.

According to a September 2008 Nielsen Mobile research study, at the end of 2007, 16.4 percent of U.S. households had abandoned their landlines for wireless by the end of 2007.

Most people who have dropped their landline service make less money [$50,000 or less], are younger [18 to 34 years old] and live in a household with just one or two people, according to the Nielsen survey. 

"There are so many forms of communication right now, " Fulton said. "We have to try to make sure our services are competitive."

To keep customers on the company's landlines, Verizon offers service bundles that allow customers to use a wireless phone for their home phone service and their traditional landline for broadband Internet, all on one bill.

In some markets, these services can also be bundled with television service.

By combining the services, customers can save from 10 to 20 percent, Fulton said.

This bundling is what customers' want, according to a March 2008 survey conducted by KRC Research for Verizon.

Nearly two-thirds of the 800 adults with landline phones surveyed said they would consider bundling landline service with television, Internet and wireless services, according to the survey.

Still, 45 percent of those surveyed felt they paid too much for their landline phone. And, of those customers that said they may or would disconnect their landline phone within the year, 34 percent said it was because the service was too expensive.

However, the survey also found that the vast majority - 83 percent - plan to keep their landline home phone indefinitely and that 76 percent use their landline phone everyday. 

In West Virginia, Verizon isn't ignoring the growing wireless use need. The company is launching its statewide wireless network next week, Fulton said.

Also, he hopes that the younger generation, which typically lacks landline service, will come around, particularly for use with security systems and high-speed Internet.

 "It's more of a challenge for [younger generations] to appreciate the benefits [of a landline]," he said. "I can't imagine my household without a landline. "

Reach Sarah K. Winn at sarahkw...@wvgazette.com or 348-5156.