My prediction is that we're less than five years from the death of general telephony, defined as no longer being able to rely on a person or business having a direct-dialable voice contact, whether land, mobile, or VOIP. Instead there will be some mix of messaging systems or apps, most requiring pre-arrangement for contact.

There will be hangers-on (older businesses, government offices), but expect that a major firm (F-100) will announce shutting off phone service entirely in this window.

(Busineses are hit as hard as households, or worse, by phone scams.)

And I think telcos actively want this.