UK consumers using their phones more than ever

UK consumers are using hosted telephony to communicate more and more, a report by the Mobile Data Association has shown.

The report, which analyses the use of text messaging by UK consumers, strongly implies an increase in VoIP traffic, as in the past when phone usage in the UK has climbed, so too has the use of VoIP.

The report notes that in 2009 the daily traffic average for the UK market was 265 million text messages and 1.6 million picture messages.

The total for text messages sent during 2009 as a whole stood at 96.8 billion, while picture messages grew to 600 million.

Seasonal drivers factor in as well, with 4.5 million picture messages being sent on Christmas Day itself.

Network Operators' figures also indicated a major upturn in picture messaging during the UK's recent severe weather.

And with more next-generation phones - from Apple's iPhone to Google's Nexus One - capable of making use of hosted telephony solutions, it seems likely that as usage rises in the traditional spheres of communication, so too will the use of VoIP.