CASE. Despite increasingly rare use, how the landline telephone holds up in homes ?

The mobile phone has become “the norm” among the French population, to the detriment of the landline. Even if, according to Crédoc and Arcep, it is still present in 80% of homes. imageBROKER.com – imageBROKER/Egon Bömsch

The latest study by Arcep, the telecoms regulatory authority, shows that there are fewer and fewer people on the landline. A trend confirmed by INSEE. Details.

Studies showing the decline in the use of landline telephones in France are increasing. At the end of 2021, INSEE presented its report on the habits of the French with their phones. Result: 77% of French residents say they have at least one landline telephone line at home. Very interesting data: "9 % of landline phone owners and 1 % of mobile phone owners say that their phone never rings". Unsurprisingly, it is the elderly who remain very attached to it: only 15 % of over 75s own a mobile phone.

The decline of the landline telephone is inevitable. "Between 2018 and 2021, the share of the population equipped with a landline telephone went from 87 % to 77 %", specifies the INSEE study. Who also notes that people equipped "use their landline less: the proportion of people indicating that it never rings has doubled (5 % to 9 %) and that of people who never answer the phone increased (from 12% to 17%), while the share of those declaring that they systematically filter calls decreased (from 53% to 48%).

Mobile equipment becomes "the norm"

This observation should be put into perspective with the growing development of mobile phones. "In France, more than 99 % of the population aged 15 years or over is equipped with a telephone, landline or mobile", recalls the institute. However, mobile equipment is "standard". Indeed, "95 % of the population owns a mobile phone and 77 % owns a smartphone".

The weight of the landline telephone among the French

The latter is a "essential" for young people: "94 % of 15-29 year-olds are equipped with it, while it is slow to establish itself among the oldest" , since "36 % of those aged 75 and over have one".Another study, published in 2022 by Arcep, the telecoms regulator, shows that the rate of equipping homes with landlines is 80%. In the second half of 2022, only 22% of those surveyed had used a landline. Against 75% a mobile line and 62% a computer.

Fixing is progressing among young adults

"The landline telephone, which had seen renewed interest in 2022, appears to be on a downward slope again", notes the team from Crédoc (the research center on living conditions), which carried out the study for Arcep. Which estimates the level of erosion between 10% and 15% each quarter. Although it had recorded an increase of 7.6% in the volume of communications minutes in the last quarter of 2020, the fixed network fell sharply during the following quarters of 2022: &ndash ; 10.5% to the first, – 24.7% in the second, – 16 % in the third and, finally, – 24.1% in the fourth.

According to the study, "age explains the greatest variations in the rate of landline telephone ownership". Thus, if only 65% ​​of 25-39 year olds say they have a landline at home, the rate rises to 92% among those aged 70 and over. A note of hope appears. Unexpected. "The equipment among young adults is progressing, 18-24 year olds being the only age category where landline telephone equipment has increased between& ;nbsp;2020 and 2022 (69 %, + 4 points)". Possible explanation: "the progression in this age class of equipment with connected speakers, which include the possibility of making calls".

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