Fixed line, schmixed line...

Nokia and MORI have just released the results of research into mobile/fixed substitution (http://press.nokia.com/PR/200410/965166_5.html), which claims to have found that in the markets of the UK, USA, Germany and South Korea, something like 45m consumers exclusively use their mobile phone for voice. I work that out to be about 9.3% of their combined populations, overall, which is pretty similar to the kinds of numbers we have anecdotally heard in other European countries. A few interesting insights are included:

• In South Korea, a significant number of people report that they are less likely to take out a new fixed line subscription after moving house/flat, and 65% of the respondents there report they are already almost entirely dependent on mobile for voice. This house-moving phenomenon is something that France Telecom mentioned in Q3 last year as a trigger for non-renewal of PSTN subscriptions in its domestic market.
• For respondents with broadband access already, there is keen interest in switching to a wireless broadband service, and an expectation that this may be a viable alternative within one to two years.