Total voice connections, which measures FiOS Digital Voice connections in addition to traditional switchedaccess lines, declined 7.9 percent to 25.0 million - the smallest year-over-year decline since second-quarter 2007.
The company saw a 14.3% drop in primary residential switched-access phone lines, as consumers continued to move toward voice over IP and mobile devices for most of their voice calls.
What's more, Capellas has ratcheted up pressure on rivals this year by migrating 10% of MCI's phone calls from old circuit-switched networks--subject to those antiquated access fees--to the Internet, which is free of them.
The FCC has been more than a little eager to repurpose spectrum as wireless internet access takes off: white spaces and iDEN frequencies have already switched roles, and that's not including the myriad of spectrum swaps.