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UK consumers are increasingly reaching for their mobiles to keep in touch with friends and family, a new report has found.

The gradual replacement of traditional landline services as the preferred method of talking to others is one of a series of changing trends which Britain's media regulator claims is transforming the country's communications sector.

Mobile phones now account for more than a third of all UK call minutes, with 82 billion of the 234 billion call minutes recorded last year stemming from mobiles.

In addition more households now rely solely on a mobile phone, rather than just on a landline, to communicate. Some nine per cent of households currently rely on just a mobile phone, compared to seven per cent who only have a landline.

The study also shows that consumers are now using their mobiles for more than just making phone calls. Some 41 per cent of people now use their handsets as a digital camera, while 13 per cent use it to access the internet and a further 21 per cent use it as a mini games console.

According to Ofcom, changes to the UK's £50 billion electronic communications sector are being driven by lower prices and the availability of a greater range of so-called "bundled" services.

In April 2007, some 40 per cent of the country's population were receiving various communication facilities, such as landline, broadband and digital television services, in a single package.

Meanwhile the amount of money the average household spends on communications has dropped, down from £94.03 a month in 2005 to £92.65 in 2006.

The report also finds that so-called silver surfers are leading the growth in internet use, which has been boosted by a doubling of headline broadband service speeds over the past 12 months.

Older people now spend an average of 42 hours online each month, more than any other age group, Ofcom said.

Advertisers are now increasingly turning to the web to market their products, with the advent of the digital video recorders blamed for a slump in TV ad revenues last year as more people use the technology to skip through adverts.

Commenting on the report, Ofcom spokesman Peter Phillips said: "This comprehensive survey shows how our communications sector continues to develop at a fast pace, with consumers of all ages using a range of devices to find the services they want at lower prices."