More Australians have cut the cord, ACMA research finds

Fewer Australians, particularly between the ages of 25 and 34, are tethered to landlines for phone services and fixed-line broadband for Internet access.

New research released today by the Australian Communications and Media Authority revealed that 12 per cent of adult Australians have gone mobile-only, relying on mobile phones and/or tablets, and cellular or other wireless connections, for Internet and phone services.

Those in the 25-34 age bracket where most likely to have gone completely mobile for phone and Internet.

People living outside major cities were more likely to have ditched fixed-line services than their urban counterparts.

More than a fifth of adult Australians — 21 per cent — didn't have a fixed Internet connection in December 2014, according to the ACMA's Australians get mobile report.

"The increased functionality of mobile phones (particularly the increased take-up of smartphones), reduced costs, greater 3G and 4G broadband network penetration, and increased access to Wi-Fi networks are all contributing factors," the report states.

As of December, there were 3.9 million Australians who relied on mobile Internet access. That's up two percentage points from 12 months earlier, according to ACMA's figures.

Twenty-nine per cent of Australians have completely ditched landlines in favour of mobile phones, the study found.

ACMA commissioned Roy Morgan to conduct research for the report.