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Using mobiles for just calls and texting is a thing of the past, as a third of Australians now check emails on their handsets and more than 70 per cent access mobile entertainment and information services.

In spite of the global financial crisis, the use of mobile phone services has continued to grow in the past year as more Australians buy internet-enabled smartphones, the 2009 Australian Mobile Phone Lifestyle Index reveals.

In last year's survey, just 7 per cent of respondents accessed social networking sites from their handsets, but this figure has jumped this year to 32 per cent, with half of those accessing the sites daily.

ABOUT 2 million people are considering ditching their fixed-line home phones, as Australians move closer to becoming one of the world's first wireless economies.

There are 105 mobiles for every 100 people, making Australia one of the most saturated markets in the world behind South Korea, with 114 mobile phones for every 100 people.

An ACMA study last year found the decline of fixed lines has been led by younger consumers. About 91 per cent of retirees said their main form of communication was the fixed-line phone, while 70 per cent of 18-to-31 year-olds consider mobile phones as their main form of communication.