ACMA Communications report 2012 shows a 1% annual decline in fixed lines while smartphone numbers doubled
The ACMA Communications report 2012 shows a 1% annual decline in fixed lines while smartphone numbers doubled.
There are now 10.44M fixed lines and 30.2M mobile phone services, and 22.05M mobile broadband internet subscribers – an increase of 22%.
Australia’s largest provider of fixed-line telephony services, Telstra, recorded a
four per cent fall in service numbers, in line with the trend over recent years.
Data downloaded using all technologies exceeded 421.1 terabytes an increase of 52% year over year, 92% was downloaded over a fixed line connection. Download volume using a mobile handset increased 78.9% while downloads over fixed lines increased 52.6%.
However, we note that if the number of mobile phone users without a fixed line continues to rise by 600,ooo per annum, such a decline in fixed line market share would mean only 5.04M fixed telephone lines would be in service by 2021 (without adjusting for population growth). This indicates a longer term shift in the termination of data downloaded away from fixed to mobile networks.
Executive Summary of the report:
>> The total number of mobile phone users without a home fixed-line telephone increased by
24 per cent to 3.1 million adults (aged 18 years and over) at June 2012
>> The total number of smartphone users reached 49 per cent of adults at May 2012, up from
25 per cent at June 2011.
>> The proportion of persons going online via their mobile handset increased from 21 per cent
during June 2011 to 32 per cent during June 2012.
>> The total number of users of internet telephony (voice over internet protocol—VoIP) increased
by nearly 21 per cent to 4.3 million adults at June 2012.
>> At June 2012, the total number of users of mobile VoIP increased by 133 per cent to
616,000. Over-the-top VoIP services via a home computer, laptop or tablet device increased
by 28 per cent to 4.0 million users.
http://www.acma.gov.au/webwr/_assets/main/lib550049/comms_report_2011-12.pdf