The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has released its communications report, revealing that wireless broadband services usage has skyrocketed during the past year to reach more than two million subscribers.

According to the ACMA report, services jumped 162% in 2008-09, likely due to the popularity of smartphones such as the iPhone, while fixed-line telephone services dropped 3%.

Australians continued to purchase mobile phones in increasing numbers, with the number growing 9.5% to more than 24 million – the number of fixed-line services dropped to 10.7 million.

The number of internet subscribers surged to 8.4 million, up from 7.2 million the previous year, with wireless broadband subscribers accounting for 25% of those subscribers.

However, the report may turn out to be a thorn in the Rudd Government’s national broadband network, which is aimed at providing high-speed internet to users on a fixed-line network, with an article in The Australian indicating some analysts predict that future internet users could place more importance on mobility than speed.

“The view is that fixed line is still the primary technology for delivering video and for working from home. While it might have gone through a period of stagnation, we do anticipate it will pick up when new products like video-on-demand are made available,” explained Sameer Chopra, telecommunications analyst for Deutsche Bank.

“We see the potential for the two to co-exist, with households and individuals using both simultaneously.”