More than one of every five
American homes (20.2%) had only wireless telephones during the second
half of 2008, an increase of 2.7 percentage points since the first half
of 2008 reports the July-December 2008 National Health
Interview Survey (NHIS).
This is the largest 6-month increase observed since NHIS began
collecting data on wireless-only households in 2003. Also, one
of every seven American homes (14.5%) received all or almost all calls
on wireless telephones, despite having a landline telephone in the
home. 
In the last 6 months of 2008, more than one of every five households
(20.2%) did not have a landline telephone but did have at least one
wireless telephone.
Approximately 18.4% of all adults--more than 41 million adults--lived
in households with only wireless telephones; 18.7% of all
children--nearly 14 million children--lived in households with only
wireless telephones.
The percentage of adults living in wireless-only households has also been increasing steadily During the last 6 months of 2008, more than one of every six adults
lived in wireless-only households. One year before that (that is,
during the last 6 months of 2007), one of every seven adults lived in
wireless-only households. And 2 years before that (that is, during the
last 6 months of 2005), only 1 of every 13 adults lived in
wireless-only households.
The percentages of adults and children living without any telephone
service have remained relatively unchanged over the past 3 years.
Approximately 1.9% of households had no telephone service (neither
wireless nor landline). Nearly 4 million adults (1.7%) and 2 million
children (2.4%) lived in these households.
Other information in the Survey:
- The prevalence of binge drinking (i.e., having five or more
alcoholic drinks in 1 day during the past year) among wireless-only
adults (36.7%) was nearly twice as high as the prevalence among adults
living in landline households (19.7%). Wireless-only adults were also
more likely to be current smokers than were adults living in landline
households. - Compared with adults living in landline
households, wireless-only adults were more likely to report that their
health status was excellent or very good, were more likely to engage in
regular leisure-time physical activity, and were less likely to have
ever been diagnosed with diabetes. - The percentage without
health insurance coverage at the time of the interview among
wireless-only nonelderly adults (27.5%) was considerably higher than
the percentage among nonelderly adults living in landline households
(16.4%). - Compared with adults living in landline
households, wireless-only adults were more likely to have experienced
financial barriers to obtaining needed health care, and they were less
likely to have a usual place to go for medical care. Wireless-only
adults were also less likely to have received an influenza vaccination
during the previous year. - Wireless-only adults (47.0%) were
more likely than adults living in landline households (37.1%) to have
ever been tested for HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.
I dumped my land line last year and now have only a cell phone. But I went a step further and got a Tracfone and pay upfront for use. It’s much more cost-effective and the service is fine.
The only reason I’d kept my landline was to send faxes but I do that on the Internet now, so who needs a landline?
Plus I have no contract anymore for my phone and the quality is great.