Landline use in Taiwan has fallen dramatically over the past decade, with people’s use of the traditional voice service averaging less than seven minutes a day, National Communications Commission (NCC) data showed.
The decline in talking minutes corresponds with a similar drop in the number of landline owners, given the prevalance of smartphones and third-party messaging apps.
From 2011 to January this year, the number of landlines fell from 12.68 million to 10.27 million, with businesses accounting for 27 percent.
Photo: Ting Yi, Taipei Times
Use of international call services also plummeted from 4.94 billion minutes in 2011 to only about 220 million last year, representing a mere 5 percent of the 2011 figure.
However, the rapid decline in landline use seems to be leveling off, with an NCC report indicating that more than 90 percent of landline users last year said they have no plans to dispose of the service within the next year.
Those who have chosen to cancel it mainly cite replacing it with a cellphone and not needing to make telephone calls as reasons, the report said.
Landline usage differs greatly by age and location, with older people and people living in remote areas relying more on the fixed-line service, NCC data showed.
Compared with the national average of 45 talking minutes per week, users in Yilan, Hualien, Taitung, Pingtung and Penghu counties, as well as Kaohsiung, all average longer than an hour.
While only 7.8 percent of people use landlines, among those aged 66 and older, the figure is 26.4 percent.
Chunghwa Telecom is keeping an eye on the decline in landline usage precipitated by the prevalence of cellphones, said Su Tian-cai (蘇添財), president of the telecom’s consumer business group.
However, there are some unique benefits to landlines, namely their independence from the power grid and location data for emergency services, he said.
Whether landline service should be canceled would be decided by market mechanisms, NCC Vice Chairman Wong Po-tsung (翁柏宗) said on Sunday.
The NCC would not get involved, either by encouraging its use or phasing it out, he added.
Landlines boost the resilience of the overall communications network, enabling communication in the event of a power outage or disaster, he said.
Telecom experts expect landlines to continue in service in Taiwan for a while longer.
The years after 2013 saw a huge dip in telephone use as cellphone and Internet services matured, said Hsiao Yi-ching (蕭怡靖), a professor at Tamkang University’s Department of Public Administration.
However, now that the communications environment has stabilized, the cancelation of landlines has also leveled off, he said.
Considering that businesses would continue to need landlines, as well as their lower price, there is still a sizeable contingent of people who prefer keeping their contracts, Hsiao added.
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