New FCC Telephone Subscribership Report

The Federal Communications Commission released its latest report on telephone subscribership levels in the United States. The report presents subscribership statistics based on the Current Population Survey (CPS) conducted by the Census Bureau in July 2009. The report also shows subscribership levels by state, income level, race, age, household size, and employment status.

In July 2009:

• The telephone subscribership penetration rate in the U.S. was 95.7%, an increase of 0.3% over the rate from July 2008. This is the highest reported rate since the CPS began collecting this data in November 1983.
• The telephone penetration rate for households in income categories below $15,000 was at or below 93.3%, while the rate for households in income categories over $50,000 was at least 98.5%.
• Among the states, the penetration rates ranged from a low of 91.3% to a high of 98.7%.
• Penetration rates ranged from 91.5% for households headed by a person under 25 to at least 96.4% for households headed by a person over 55.
• Households with one person had a penetration rate of 93.5%, compared to a rate of 96.8% for households with four or five persons.
• The penetration rate for unemployed adults was 94.6%, while the rate for employed adults was 96.7%.