No, we had calls drop often enough when I was a kid. But we didn't live in a big city, and it wasn't surprising to us when it happened.

It happened about as often as it happens to me with a cellphone when neither party is moving between towers and has decent coverage.

We expect cell drops because of a technology constraint, even in big cities. Likewise, I think the parent poster is right that we'll expect it more once it starts happening more.