 Mumbai:
Competitive calling plans and the convenience of mobile
phones are prompting more and more consumers to replace
their landline telephones with mobile phones. The International
Data Corporation (IDC) which tracks the telecommunications
industry, says it expects more than 23 million landlines
will have been displaced by mobiles in the 12 years from
1995 to 2006, with 13 million lines displaced from 2002
to 2006.
However,
most of the telephone lines displaced will be secondary
or additional lines. Most users will still have a landline
as their primary telephone.
“As
wireless carriers add incentives like ‘free’
minutes and long distance to their calling plans, they
are becoming increasingly competitive with the price of
landline services,” said Scott Ellison, program director
of IDC’s Wireless and Mobile Communications service.
“As a result, consumers have a viable alternative
to adding a second wireline for their children or home
office. This presents a significant market opportunity
for wireless providers as consumers weigh their access
options.”
The
teen and young adult market are the most likely to make
mobile phones their primary telephone, as they already
replace secondary lines much faster than other age groups.
IDC believes that most adult users who are likely to go
completely wireless have already done so and the bulk
of new mobile-only users will be young adults.
However,
mobile telephones are unlikely to replace landlines on
a massive scale, mostly because of inconsistent service
quality, poor coverage inside buildings, and ingrained
cultural behavior. These outweigh the convenience and
pricing. Home access to the Internet is another factor,
since three-quarters of mobile telephone users use a landline
at home to access the Internet.
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