Landlines heading for extinction?

The traditional landline is looking increasingly like an endangered species as more and more consumers are choosing to use their mobile as their principal device.

A study from research firm In-Stat has found that nearly 10 per cent of wireless subscribers in the US use their mobile as their number one phone.

That figure is expected to rise to between 27 and 37 per cent by 2009, In-Stat said, with fewer and fewer people now saying they need a fixed-line phone.

David Chamberlain, In-Stat analyst, said that those looking to go entirely wireless are motivated by lifestyle issues.

A survey of UK consumers last year found that young people are the most keen to ditch landlines. Ten per cent of those between 18 and 25 questioned by KPMG said they had no landline and preferred to rely on their mobiles.

European landline operators are expected to try and tackle the issue of fixed-mobile substitution by producing converged products – phones that work as both landline and mobile, such as BT's Fusion, formerly known as project Bluephone.

Analysts have predicted that there will be 20 million residential users of converged services in western Europe by 2010.