Sampling the Wireless World

The big wireless news today is that roughly 16% of American households are now wireless only. This means that one out of every 6 homes in America has cut-the-cord and now uses only a wireless device to make phone calls.   This is a significant development considering that in 2004 the National Center for Health Statistics (which published today's information) found that just 5% of American households were wireless only, and in 2006 the number was 10.5%. When you consider a recent Harris Interactive survey that found as many as 18% of households were now wireless only and an additional 5% were projected to cut-the-cord in the coming 6 months, we begin to get a picture of just how central mobile devices are to American life.   
 
One of the more interesting issues related to this news item concerns the impact of today's wireless world on the ability of pollsters to capture accurate population samples. For good reason, wireless carriers do not publish their customers' names or phone numbers and therefore pollsters generally rely on only wireline subscribers to assess the nation's pulse. Many folks recognize and have commented on the impact this could have on how a political race is handicapped, or on other survey results. That is precisely why the NCHS is trying to determine what differences - or similarities - exist between the wireless-only and general population.  
 
As the number of wireless-only households continues to grow - potentially reaching 25% by 2009 - so too may the challenge of capturing reliable survey samples on issues relating to public affairs and the nation's health.