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One-Quarter of Americans Go Cell Phone Only

by Terrence O'Brien on May 13, 2010 at 06:30 AM

cell phone Last May we reported that one in five Americans had ditched their landlines and had decided to go cell phone only. Over a year later, it's time for an update from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, who report that number has climbed to 25-percent, or one in four Americans that have cut the cord for good.

The number of homes with both a cell phone and a traditional landline has held steady at six out of every ten since roughly 2007 according to the CDC's figures. But as more people go wireless only, the number of those who just rely on a landline has shrunk dramatically to just 15-percent of households, or half of what it was in 2006.

Not surprisingly, those with lower incomes and younger people are much more likely to have only a cell phone. Half of those between 25 and 29-years old had abandoned traditional landlines, as had 36-percent of those living below the poverty line. These groups, with less money, pick the mobility and convenience of a cell phone over the more reliable landline. It's clear the world is moving towards a cable-free existence; it only makes sense that the younger generation and the most cagey consumers be the ones to lead the charge. [From: Huffington Post]

Tags: cdc, cellphones, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CentersForDiseaseControlAndPrevention, landline, landlines, research, top

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