There have been times when I’ve been tempted to take that ultimate cellular plunge. The one where you call up the phone company and have your hard-wired land line disconnected.

That temptation has never gone beyond that for one simple reason: I don’t trust my cell phone enough to make that sort of commitment. The reception inside my house just isn’t strong enough. I’ve managed to find a few spots - including one by the kitchen window - where the signal is better. But what’s the point of a wireless phone if you have to use it in the same spot every time?

Well, it seems there is hope. Here’s an article about new devices - they’re called Femtocells - that promise to boost you cellular signal at home. Sprint’s Airave femtocell is now being tested in Denver, Indianapolis and Nashville.

Of course, it’s the sort of thing that probably scares traditional phone companies with the most to lose. While cell phones continue to worm their way into our lives, they still have a long way to go before replacing their wired cousins. Devices like this one could make that journey a little easier.

In the United States, 12 percent of the adult population is now using cell phones only, up 2 percentage points from the latter half of last year, according to a recent survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The percentage is much higher the younger the age group. One in four people ages 18 to 24 use only cell phones, as do 29 percent of those ages 25 to 29, the survey found.

Landline-based phone providers “are losing customers to wireless anyway, so all operators are looking at femtocells,” said Allen Nogee, In-Stat Research principal analyst for wireless technology and infrastructure.

I wonder how many of you have taken this plunge. Have you said goodbye to your landline? Are you happy with that decision?