Ranchi, Oct. 28: The state is inching towards a mobile makeover, with cellular phones on their way to replacing fixed-line phones as the popular mode of connecting people.

Based on the figures available at the BSNL and Reliance headquarters in Ranchi, as on September 30, there were 400,815 mobile connections in the state against 439,740 landline connections, a difference of only 39,000. A staggering 202,000 people are on the waiting list for BSNL mobile connections. The Jharkhand circle of BSNL has already placed orders for 2.50 lakh new mobile connections which will be given out by March next year.

If these facts are taken into account, it can be safely assumed that landline connections would be outnumbered by the wireless connections by March next year. Across the country, the number of mobile phone connections has already crossed the total landline connections of 43 million.

?Mobiles are becoming cheaper by the day. Soon, having a landline will be a luxury. But, of course, landlines have their uses. I think both wireless and landline have their own benefits and that both will co-exist,? a BSNL official said.

The official said the trend indicates the growing market of the wireless telephony in the region. He said: ?It is a matter of satisfaction that communication market is expanding. Mobile phones have changed the lives of people all over the country and Jharkhand is no exception.?

Customers will get more options once service providers Airtel and Tata Indicom enter the Jharkhand market. Airtel has already set up base transmission stations in all major cities of Jharkhand and it is likely to start its service soon.

One hurdle facing telecom companies, however, is that Jharkhand has a very low tele-density. The national average is eight telephones for every 100 persons, while in Jharkhand, the figure is a mere 2.94.

Experts believe that the real challenge before the companies will be to increase tele-density and then spread the use of mobile phones.

Telecom companies will now also have to focus on rural areas, which have remained untapped so far. The scope for expansion in cities and towns will soon get limited, as they have already been covered by the major cellular operators, said the official.