Kauffman

According to the National Health Interview Survey, conducted by the U.S. Center for Infection Control, about 3 in 10 house holds both only use cell phones or seldom get calls on the landlines.

The national figures, released Wednesday, showed that dependence on cells is continuing to rise at the trouble of wired telephones. In the 2nd 1 / 2 of a year ago, 16 percent of households only had cell phones, while 13 percent also had landlines but got all or very nearly all their calls on their cells.

The amount of wireless-only families grew by 2 % because the first half of a year ago. Underscoring the rapid progress, in early 2004 just 5 percent had only cell phones.

During the second half last year, 16% of families only had mobiles, while 13% had mobiles and landlines but took the majority of calls on their mobiles. Wireless-only houses grew 2% between the first and second 50% of 2007. In early 2004, only 5% of households only had mobile phones.

We've written about the decline in landline use before, and these figures aren't surprising at all. I've been pushing hard with my partner to stop our home but haven't broken through yet. My guess is that it'll happen in the next 12-18 months inside our family.

The review had other interesting information including:

-Low-income folks are likelier compared to more wealthy to own only mobile phones.

-Those with only cells tend to be living with unrelated roommates, visitors rather than homeowners, and Hispanics and blacks rather than whites.

-About a third of these under age 30 only have mobile phones.

-Households with both cell and home phones who seldom or never get calls on the landlines tend to be better educated and have higher incomes.

-About 2000 of families reported having no phones.

In-person interviews were involved by the National Health Interview Survey, conducted by the CDC, with people in 13,083 families completed from July through December of last year. hearing loss help co