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UK: 60% of people only have line rental for internet connectivity

Ten years ago, you could go into a lot of homes and see a landline phone wired up and actually being used. Nowadays, with a more widespread usage of mobile phones, the number of landline users has dropped according to a recent study. The survey was conducted by OnePoll, they surveyed 2,000 UK adult customers of the ISP, Relish Wireless, which operates a fixed wireless 4G network in Swindon and central London.

The results show that a huge 60% of users only take a landline connection to get online and that only 18% even know their landline's phone number. A smaller 36% said that they only use their landline once a month or less.

Bridget Lorimer, Relish Wireless’ Head of Brand and Marketing, said:

“Our results have found that millions of consumers are paying for a service that they just aren’t using, exemplified by the fact they can’t even recall their own number! Despite this however, they are still being charged for monthly line rental on top of the cost of their broadband by internet service providers. It is ridiculous to think that today anyone would be paying for a service they don’t use, and it is clear the British public are desperate to say goodbye to the landline.”

The study also showed that 22% of respondents expect to be landline free in the next two years. However, this may be hopeful thinking on behalf of those asked as commercial solutions, such as Single Order Generic Internet Access (SOGEA) which will allow for customers to get online without a phone line, won't be available until 2018. Landline phone calling is expected to take an even greater hit over the next few years as more people start using VoIP, made possible with faster 4G and 5G speeds and faster Wi-Fi.

Source: ISP Review | Image via Techkhoji

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