Buried In Pixels: The Plummeting Popularity of Landline and Mobile Calls
Declining utilization of traditional landline and cellular phone services
Germany's communication landscape is evolving, and the traditional phone call is getting kicked to the curb. A whopping 11% drop in landline call volume last year left just 57 billion minutes of chat time, according to the Federal Network Agency in Bonn's annual report. Shifts in communication preferences have spilled over to mobile as well, with a 4% decrease recorded at 148 billion minutes.
The downturn in landline calls has been steadier. It plunged 14% in 2022 and 20% in 2023. The Federal Network Agency attributes this decline to the growing usage of number-independent interpersonal telecommunications, particularly messenger and video conferencing apps, such as WhatsApp, Zoom, and Teams.
The calls placed via these apps soared from 175.1 billion minutes in 2023 to 196.7 billion minutes last year, while instant messages surged from 891.4 billion to 901.9 billion. This rise in app-based communication points to a paradigm shift in how Germans keep in touch.
Data-Thirsty Connections
The report also highlighted an increase in data usage for both landline and mobile connections. Landline data shot up by 35 GB per connection per month to an average of 322 GB, while mobile data usage inched up from 7.2 to 7.4 GB monthly.
Investments in the industry soared last year as well, reaching β¬14.9 billion, primarily to expand fiber optic and mobile infrastructure, showing a 13% increase over the previous year.
Under the Surface
The preference for digital communication platforms explains the overall decline in traditional communication methods. The widespread availability and quality of mobile services, such as high-speed 5G networks, and competition from new providers have only accelerated this trend. Consumers' desire for flexible,app-based communication options cements this shift and points to the eventual extinction of landline and mobile calls in Germany.
Sources: ntv.de, jwu/AFP
- Telecommunications
- Federal Network Agency
- In the evolving German telecommunications landscape, there has been a noticeable decrease in the number of traditional phone calls as a result of the surge in popularity of apps like WhatsApp, Zoom, and Teams for vocational training, education-and-self-development, and general-news discussions within the community policy.
- The annual report from the Federal Network Agency indicates a significant increase in data usage for both landline and mobile connections, suggesting a growing preference for digital communication, such as casino-and-gambling and general-news, which might further encourage the extinction of landline and mobile calls in the future.
