The bar chart compares the total duration (in billions of minutes) of telephone calls in Australia, categorized by three types: local, national and international, and mobiles between 2001 and 2008.
Overall, during the period, the durations of national and international and mobile calls consistently increased, albeit at different rates, while the figure for local calls remained the most significant.
In terms of local calls, in 2001, 72 billion minutes of telephone calls in Australia were made using this type. This figure continuously increased to 78 billion (2002), 85 billion (2003), and 89 billion (2004) and eventually reached the highest record of 90 billion in 2005. Subsequently, the use of local calls in Australia significantly dropped over the remaining period, with the time dedicated for this category being 84 billion minutes in 2006, 79 billion minutes in 2007, and 72 billion minutes at the end of the period.
Regarding national and international and mobile calls, both types experienced a substantial increasing trend. In 2001, although national and international calls were still a widespread communication channel, registering 38 billion minutes, mobile calls recorded a strikingly modest figure of mere 2 billion minutes. In the following years, national and international calls gradually increased, with its figure climbing from 41 billion minutes in 2002 to 45 billion minutes (2003), 48 billion minutes (2004), 50 billion minutes (2005), and 55 billion minutes (2006), reaching 60 billion minutes (2007) and culminating at 61 billion minutes in 2008. Additionally, mobile call minutes experienced a remarkable ascent throughout the period. Having commenced at only 2 billion in 2001, the duration witnessed a gradual rise to 5 billion in 2002, followed by 7 billion in 2003, 9 billion in 2004, and 12 billion in 2005. This initial growth then accelerated sharply, reaching 23 billion by 2006, 39 billion by 2007, and culminating at its highest point of 46 billion minutes in 2008.