More Europeans are switching from fixed line to mobile phones and from narrowband to broadband Internet connections, a Xinhua news report, quoting a a survey released by the European Commission, said.
The Xinhua report also said the survey showed that 22% of EU households use only mobile phones, up from 18% a year ago, while the proportion of households with at least one fixed line decreased by 5 % to 72%, although the percentage of households with at least one mobile phone remains fairly stable at 81%.
Broadband is presenting a rapid upward trend in the EU, showed the survey, which polled 27,000 households across the union.
About 28% of households are now connected to the Internet via high-speed 'broadband' links, up 6% from last year, the report said.
Meanwhile, nearly 20% of Europeans buy two or more telecom products from a single service provider, the combination of fixed telephony and Internet access being the most common, the Xinhua news report said.
The result may strengthen the commission's case for breaking up telecom giants, whose control over the fixed line networks was accused of hindering competition, the report further said.