He noted that users who move to prepay plans are not getting rid of cell phones altogether. "The good news is there are options," Hepner said. However, he added, a new era of "penny-pinching is here."

Other data in the survey shows that of those who have discontinued cell phone service in the past six months, 28% live in households earning $35,000 or less. Of those likely to cut back if the economy gets worse, 44% are age 18-34, 54% live in households earning $35,000 annually or less, and 55% are African-American.

Overall, 80% of those surveyed still own a cell phone, while 84% of the 18-to-34-year-olds have at least one. Just 68% of those age 65 or older have a cell phone.

The survey found that 91% of households earning $100,000 or more have cell phones, while 65% of households earning $35,000 or less have them.

About 17% have a prepaid cell phone plan, while 84% have a contract-based cell phone. The overlap is due to individuals with both types of plan.