Home landline phones on the way out: survey

The once ubiquitous home landline phone seems to be on the way out, according to a study that found more than one in three people did not remember their landline numbers.

According to a poll, 38 per cent of those asked could not remember their number, and that half kept a landline only as a means of accessing the internet.

Will Harnden, chief marketing officer at broadband provider Relish, which carried out the survey, said it was a sign of the times that landlines were increasingly being left unused.

He added many people were not using their landline for its intended purpose, but were forced to pay monthly charges for line rental, on top of the cost of their broadband.

Harnden added now was the time people could finally wave goodbye to the landline.

The survey showed the extent to which landlines appeared to have been abandoned or forgotten in terms of physical phone calls, with four in 10 people questioned saying they did not answer the home phone when it rang. Many said the reason for this was the possibility of its being a sales call.

One in 10 of those polled did not even keep a home phone plugged in and 51 per cent used their landline rarely or never.

Only one in five used the landline for making regular personal calls, with the typical usage now only eight times a month.

The top reason for keeping a landline was the need for an internet connection according to the poll.