Official figures shared in the Australian Communication and Media Authority’s Communications Report 2008-09 have revealed that the usage of 3G mobile and wireless broadband services is witnessing a substantial rise, with a hike of 162% recorded for the period.

With the report, an overview of the telecom, broadcasting and radio-communications industry of Australia has been provided, which is inclusive of the sector's performance with regards to meeting statutory service obligations.

"Digital convergence is well and truly with us. During 2008-09, Australians continued to adopt new communication and media services and adapt their usage patterns to meet their specific lifestyle needs. Services such as 3G, VoIP and wireless broadband internet are being increasingly used, with factors such as lifestyle, age and family type shaping these choices", said Chris Chapman, chairman of the ACMA.

As revealed by the report, the number of mobile phone services hiked by 9.5% in 2008-09 to 24.22 million, and as many as 12.28 million 3G services were operational. Also, internet users increased from 7.2 million to 8.4 million from June 2008 to June 2009.

Now, almost 80% of the Australians have an internet connection at home.