Ringing in the New Year: 40 years on from the UK’s first ever mobile phone call… the nation still loves a natter on New Year’s Eve

• New research from Vodafone suggests the value of speaking to a loved one on New Year’s Eve is still high with three-quarters (RD) of Brits expecting to place or receive a call from family or friends at midnight.
• Despite the rise of messaging apps, the study reveals Brits still prefer a call (37%) over a text (32%) from loved ones on the biggest night of the year. 
• While the study suggests that older Brits place higher value on a New Year’s Eve phone call, speaking to a loved one is still deemed ‘important’ by 94% of Gen Z and 86% of Millennials.
• The UK’s first-ever mobile call was made on the Vodafone network between chairman Sir Ernest Harrison and son Michael as they exchanged well wishes at midnight on January 1, 1985.

31 December 2024: New research* from Vodafone, suggests the tradition of calling a loved one on New Year’s Eve is alive and well - 40 years after the UK’s first mobile call was made to toast the start of 1985. 

Amidst the cheers in Parliament Square, Michael Harrison made the groundbreaking call to wish his father a Happy New Year soon after Big Ben signalled the arrival of January 1st, 1985.

His father, the then Vodafone chairman Sir Ernest Harrison, was stunned to hear his son’s voice from the heart of the celebrations in central London while he was at home with his family.

Now, approaching 40 years to the date, new research from Vodafone, the Nation’s Network suggests three-quarters (RD) of Brits are expecting to place or receive a call from a loved one this New Year’s Eve. 

Despite four decades of evolving tech and the rise of messaging apps, the study reveals Brits still prefer a call (37%) over a text (32%) from loved ones on the big night.

Last year, over 2.70 terabytes of data were used on the Vodafone network around midnight – equivalent to the amount of data needed to stream over 2,500 hours of Netflix shows that would take nearly four months to watch back-to-back.

And, more than 3.4 million minutes of calls and 2.2 million texts were made by Vodafone customers in the first hour of January 1st this year. 

While the Vodafone study suggests three quarters (75%) of Brits will send their good wishes via WhatsApp this New Year, the same number (75%) are still expecting to speak with a loved one over the phone on the night.

The majority of young Brits (74%) say they are most likely to speak to a parent this New Year’s Eve, though two-thirds (75%) admitted the call would be inbound rather than them dialling themselves. 

While the study suggests that older Brits place higher value on a New Year’s Eve phone call, speaking to a loved one was considered ‘important’ by 94% of Gen Z and 86% of Millennials.

As part of the study, researchers asked participants to count the texts they sent in the first hour after midnight on January 1, 2024. Researchers also asked participants to estimate how many calls they made to friends and family during the same period.

Gen Z sent the most texts, with the average 18 to 27-year-old firing off around 11 messages to friends and family to mark 2024. The average Brit sent around 8 texts and made two calls.

Vodafone’s Chief Network Officer Andrea Donà said: “In the four decades since Michael Harrison’s first mobile call, the sentimental value of connecting with loved ones on New Year’s Eve is stronger than ever.

“While data is now the main language of love and well wishes as the clock strikes midnight, it’s heartening to hear that so many Brits are looking to pick up the phone to their friends and family this year, just like Michael on that groundbreaking first ever mobile call.”

Ben Wood, founder of the Mobile Phone Museum, believes Vodafone has been crucial in driving the development of telecoms in the UK. 

He said: “40 years ago, landlines were buzzing with Brits sharing their good wishes to friends and family on New Year’s Eve. 

“Today, the majority of the country not only have mobile phones but can see their loved ones through video calling apps like Facetime and WhatsApp. 

“Mobile phone networks have kept the UK connected for the past four decades and helped make special memories for millions of families across the nation whether birthdays, Christmas or New Year.”

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Editors notes

Research methodology

* A survey of 2,300 UK parents carried out by independent market research company WALR between 9th – 11th December 2024. WALR is a member, and abides by best practices, of the Market Research Society.