Fixed-line phones give way to mobiles

Thousands of Hong Kong customers are giving up their fixed-line phones and using mobiles instead.

The number of residential and business fixed-line phones has dropped for the first time, with a fall in January of more than 6,500 in the home sector alone.

Figures from the Office of the Telecommunications Authority (Ofta) show the number of residential fixed lines has been in decline since November last year, after peaking a month earlier at 2,211,235.

Ofta said cheap mobile phone deals and Internet customers switching to broadband connections were possible factors.

Basic monthly fees charged by the four fixed-line operators range from New World Telephone's HK$69.90 and Hutchison Global Crossing's HK$83.80, to Pacific Century CyberWorks-HKT's HK$110.

By contrast, fierce competition between mobile phone operators has seen promotional offers starting from as little as HK$33 for 300 minutes free talk-time in the case of Peoples telephone company. Sunday offers a HK$38 for 150 minutes deal, and a SmarTone package sees customers paying HK$98 for 500 minutes.