Return of the phone calls: India sees 15-30% rise amid the lockdown

‘Before calling me, ask yourself ‘Is this textable?’, ‘Watching my phone ring till I miss the call’ etc… there are countless memes on how the phone call is the devil in people’s lives. However, with Indian telecom companies registering a 15-30% surge in phone calls during the coronavirus pandemic, seems like those who used to cringe at the idea of a phone call, are now reconsidering it.

15-30% rise in phone calls: COAI

In March, after companies asked employees to work from home, the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) made preparations for an increased demand for internet data. While the higher data requirements were expected, what came as a surprise was the surge in phone calls – they have been going out of fashion for years.

Rajan S Mathews, Director General, COAI, says, “The increase in demand experienced by our member telecom service providers was to the tune of 25-30% for data due to COVID-19. The surge in calls was more than 15-30%.”

And it’s not just in India, mobile network providers in the US, UK and some countries in Europe have also observed similar patterns.

Before corona: Falling popularity of phone calls

As per a 2016 report by a news publication (The Guardian), “More than three-quarters of all adults in the UK own smartphones, but 25% don’t use them to make calls.”
In 2019, a report by the Office of Communications in the UK stated that “a quarter of mobile phone users make less than five standard calls a month, while 6% make none at all”.

Work from home also responsible for the surge in calls

Even corporate bosses prefer to brainstorm with their teams over phone calls as texting takes too long and video calls on Teams or Zoom often face network issues. Corporate employees also say that during the work from home period, they prefer to call their colleagues rather than text them to avoid any misunderstanding.
During the lockdown, WiFi-based calls have also gone up as compared to earlier. That’s one of the reasons why WhatsApp has seen a 40% increase in usage.

Calling to check-in on family, friends

Distance does seem to make the heart grow fonder. Since the pandemic and the subsequent lockdowns in several nations, many are longing to simply hear the voice of their loved ones and in that case, texting simply doesn’t cut it. Those away from their families are regularly calling family members to check on their health and some are even calling home to get recipes.
New needs are emerging in the crisis. “We’ve become a nation that calls like never before,” said Jessica Rosenworcel, a commissioner at the Federal Communications Commission, the agency that oversees phone, television and internet providers in the US. “We are craving human voice.”

Using the landline to catch up with neighbours

As they can’t go and meet their neighbours anymore, Delhiites are using the intercom to connect with them. Vani Tripathi Tikoo, CBFC member, says, “I pick up my landline and call neighbours to ask how are they doing amid the lockdown. I do it daily, and I call those uncles and aunts in our society and parents of my friends who are living alone – I haven’t spoken to them in ages. Sometimes those conversations last longer because they go into nostalgia mode which is so beautiful.”

—Times of India