People hang up on land lines as mobile ownership hits 96%

FOR a growing number of people the mobile phone is replacing the home phone as their primary means of electronic communication, according to a new ComReg survey.

While there is nearly universal mobile phone ownership in Ireland, with 96% of respondents to the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg) survey saying they own one, three out of 10 people now do not have a fixed line phone.

It is a stark turnaround in the last decade, with the communications regulator’s survey in early 2000 showing only 37% of respondents had a mobile phone, while 82% owned a fixed line.