Mobile phone use is continuing to reduce the amount of time people spend using landlines, according to a report by the UK communications watchdog. For the first time calls from mobiles now account for more than a third of time spent on phone calls, Ofcom said.
Mobile phone call minutes totalled 82 billion last year, in an overall total of 234 billion, BBC reported. And nine percent of UK households rely solely on mobile phones, compared with seven percent that only have a landline, the report added.
"There are more households which are now mobile-only in terms of their phone. The first quarter of 2007 is the first time that has happened," said Ofcom spokesman Peter Phillips.
Ofcom's report also showed a slight growth in the number of children using mobiles, with 53 percent of eight-to-15-year-olds using a handset in 2006 compared with 50 percent a year earlier.
Ofcom also said that the average cost of all telecoms - including landlines, mobiles, texts and broadband - fell to 69.85 per month for residential customers in 2006, from 76.36 the previous year.