Landlines less popular than Facebook for making phone calls
Landlines have fallen behind both Facebook and WhatsApp as methods of making calls, as Britons increasingly shun traditional phones in favour of smartphone equivalents.
More than half of UK adults use Facebook Messenger to make voice or video calls, while 83pc use WhatsApp, according to new data from Ofcom. In contrast, just 28pc of Brits make calls on a landline.
Landline use has been in steady decline over recent years as Britons rely more on smartphones and as voice calls go out of fashion. Ofcom data last year showed the majority of UK households now no longer have a landline.
The cost of buying a landline service without broadband also rose significantly last year after four years of falling fees.
It comes amid a troubled transition as BT and Virgin Media O2 attempt to shift customers from ageing copper networks to a new digital service that runs on full-fibre broadband.
Old copper networks have been increasingly unstable while many parts are no longer made, making it harder to fix faults. Full-fibre networks are faster and more reliable.
However, the switchover has been plagued by problems and delays after the technology upgrade caused outages on emergency alarms, leading to two deaths. Around 2m Britons rely on these devices, also known as “telecare” alarms, to call for help in an emergency.
The switchover has faced opposition from campaign groups including Silver Voices and the Digital Poverty Alliance, who have warned that millions of elderly and vulnerable people could be left disconnected.
Telecoms companies were forced to halt the switchover process as a result of the safety concerns and the deadline has now been pushed back to 2027.