Increasing popularity of internet-based services including WhatsApp and Skype in the UK is reducing the amount of time users spend making phone calls on traditional mobile networks, a study by regulator Ofcom found.

In its latest Communications Market Report, compiled from a variety of surveys and research derived from the industry and third-party sources, Ofcom said Britons are attached to their smartphones more than ever, but the amount of time spent making mobile phone calls fell for the first time since it began collecting data.

This is largely due to the increasing popularity of internet-based services, which can be used to make calls and send messages.

Ofcom found while average outgoing mobile call volumes per subscription had risen since 2007 (around the time when the smartphone revolution took off) users spent an average of 157 minutes on calls in 2017, two minutes per month less than in 2016.

Reuters said the decline equated to total outgoing mobile call volumes dropping by 2.5 billion minutes in 2017 to 148.6 billion minutes in total.

Indeed, 78 per cent of UK adults now own a smartphone, up from 17 per cent a decade ago, but phone calls are no longer the most important use case for the device.

“Using a mobile for phone calls is only considered important by 75 per cent of smartphone users, compared to 92 per cent who consider web browsing to be important,” the regulator stated.

Always connected
In total, 72 per cent of people are accessing the internet on their smartphone, with the average amount of time spent online standing at two hours and twenty-eight minutes a day.

Almost two-thirds (64 per cent) of adults said the internet was an essential part of their lives, with 19 per cent stating they spend more than 40 hours a week online.

Ofcom added better access to the internet transformed the way people interact with each other, with 41 per cent stating that being online enables them to work more flexibly, and 74 per cent adding it keeps them close to friends and family.

The negative effects of constantly being connected were also revealed: 15 per cent said it makes them feel like they are always at work; 43 per cent conceded they spend too much time online; and 54 per cent said connected devices interrupt face-to-face conversations with friends and family.

“Whether it’s working flexibly, keeping up with current affairs or shopping online, we can do more on the move than ever before,” said Ian Macrae, Ofcom’s director of market intelligence. “But while people appreciate their smartphone as their constant companion, some are finding themselves feeling overloaded when online, or frustrated when they’re not.”

Total revenue from telecoms TV, radio and postal services of £54.7 billion in 2017 was 2 per cent lower than 2016, added Ofcom.