Office landlines to be extinct in 6 years, claims study

The office landline will become extinct in November 2028, predicts analysis by business communications service Ringover Group.

Business landline numbers fell 370,000 in a year to 4.98 million, reveals the latest Ofcom data. As recently as 2013 there were more than eight million in the UK’s office and workplaces.

Numbers are predicted to fall below two million in spring 2024, and drop under one million in early 2026.

The decline of the office landline comes as businesses replace fixed lines with internet-based communications like VOIP. 

Internet-based alternatives to fixed landlines offer numerous benefits, including unlimited calling, group messaging and video conferencing within one app.

Business communications service Ringover Group has seen demand soar 230% in the past year as millions of users in Europe worked from home during lockdown.

Says Renaud Charvet, CEO at Ringover Group:

“The office landline has kept businesses running for almost a hundred years, so it will be quite a milestone when the last one is terminated.

“Few people should mourn their demise, however, as the alternatives give businesses a huge opportunity to turn a standard business phone into a real productivity tool designed for modern workers.

“With millions of people working from home, the office landline looks increasingly redundant, and the data suggests that they will only be with us for another six years or so.”

The software offers real-time statistics and lets users access detailed data of calls and create personalised reports. All the telephone functions can be accessed directly from a CRM or Helpdesk app, including one-click call, feedback of customer files during an incoming call, and automatic logging of incoming and outgoing calls

Graph: Business landlines by year

Table: Business landlines by year

Source: Ofgem

 

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