Study touts potential cost savings

One in five Australian households could significantly cut their phone bills if they switched from landline to mobile connections, according to a study released today.

Independent research company PhoneChoice found that the current range of price-capped mobile packages offer cheaper alternatives to landline calls. This applies to both local and international connections and reveals the impact of the mobile revolution.

"Our research suggests that some capped mobile plans are now so cheap that for nearly one in five households it is more cost effective to make a complete shift to some capped mobile plans rather than keeping a landline, and this is likely to become the case for an increasing number of households as mobile bundles become the norm," said Reg Robertson of PhoneChoice.

He stated that by making the switch from landline to mobiles, households could buy two or three times more minutes.

"We recommend consumers look for a capped mobile plan that offers per-second billing and does not lock them into a fixed contract," Robertson advised.

"This gives consumers the fairest calculation of how much of the cap they have used, and also gives them the freedom of choice is a better deal comes onto the market."