ACMA: Australians moving away from fixed-line phones

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has released research showing a rapid rise in the number of people without fixed-line phones at home.
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According to a statement from the ACMA, 14 per cent of Australians did not have a fixed-line phone at home in June 2010. This was 40 per cent higher than the year before.To read this ARN report in full, see:
www.arnnet.com.au/article/368509/acma_australians_moving_away_from_fixed-line_phones/Also see:Young adults leading trend away from fixed-line phones [news release]
Research released today by the Australian Communications and Media Authority shows that the overwhelming majority of Australian consumers are now using multiple communications technologies — including a fixed-line telephone, a mobile phone, the internet and VoIP — which they use according to their lifestyle needs.According to the report — Take-up and use of voice services by Australian consumers — at April 2010, 82 per cent of adults with a fixed-line telephone used three or more communication services.However, increasing numbers of Australians are choosing to do away with their fixed-line phone altogether, with an estimated 14 per cent of Australians without a fixed-line phone at home at June 2010, an increase of 40 per cent since June 2009.’Increasing functionality of mobile phones and continued handset innovations, including the emergence of the smartphone, tablets and internet-enabled mobile devices, is underpinning the importance of mobile technology to the lifestyles of many Australians,’ said ACMA Chairman, Chris Chapman.Young adults (aged 18-24) are leading the trend away from the fixed-line phone, with one in three now choosing not to connect a fixed-line phone when they move out of the parental home. This figure has risen by 33 per cent in the past 12 months, with the highest incidence occurring among young adults living alone or in share households.’This is underscored by the report finding that a large proportion of mobile phone users feel that they need their mobile phone to juggle their work and social lives, with the majority regarding their mobile phone as essential for their personal security.VoIP is also gaining ground among Australian consumers with 2.9 million Australians 14 years and over using a VoIP service at home, an increase of 16 per cent since June 2009, with increasing numbers of Australians attracted to cheaper call costs and video telephony.However, despite the strong shift toward mobile and VoIP technology, the fixed-line phone continues to maintain a solid presence in the Australian communications environment particularly among older Australians with 97 per cent of Australians 65 years and over with a fixed-line telephone at June 2010.The report — Take-up and use of voice services by Australian consumers — is the second in the ACMA’s 2009-10 Communications Report series and is available on the ACMA website.The first report in the series, Australia in the digital economy: The shift to the online environment, was released on 11 November 2010. The ACMA’s research generally is intended to build an evidence base to better inform its development of advice and regulation.This news release, with figures, is available from:
www.acma.gov.au/WEB/STANDARD/pc=PC_312366