Landline Telephone Research Articles

Source phone identification using sketches of features

Speech recordings carry useful information for the devices used to capture them. Here, acquisition device identification is studied using ‘sketches of features’ as intrinsic device characteristics. That is, starting from large-size raw feature vectors obtained by either averaging the log-spectrogram of a speech recording along the time axis or stacking the parameters of each component for a Gaussian mixture model modelling the speech recorded by a specific device, features of reduced size are extracted by mapping these raw feature vectors into a low-dimensional space. The mapping preserves the ‘distance properties’ of the raw feature vectors. It is obtained by taking the inner product of the raw feature vector with a vector of independent identically distributed random variables drawn from a p-stable distribution. State-of-the art classifiers, such as a sparse representation-based classifier or support vector machines, applied to the sketches yield an identification accuracy exceeding 94% on a set of eight landline telephone handsets from Lincoln-Labs Handset Database. Perfect identification is reported for a set of 21 cell-phones of various models from seven different brands.

Financial burden of dental care among Australian children

Financial burden of dental care among Australian children

Exposure to secondhand smoke and attitudes toward smoke-free workplaces among employed U.S. adults: findings from the National Adult Tobacco Survey.

This study assessed the prevalence and correlates of secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure and attitudes toward smoke-free workplaces among employed U.S. adults. Data came from the 2009-2010 National Adult Tobacco Survey, a landline and cellular telephone survey of adults aged ≥18 years in the United States and the District of Columbia. National and state estimates of past 7-day workplace SHS exposure and attitudes toward indoor and outdoor smoke-free workplaces were assessed among employed adults. National estimates were calculated by sex, age, race/ethnicity, education, annual household income, sexual orientation, U.S. region, and smoking status. Among employed adults who did not smoke cigarettes, 20.4% reported past 7-day SHS exposure at their workplace (state range: 12.4% [Maine] to 30.8% [Nevada]). Nationally, prevalence of exposure was higher among males, those aged 18-44 years, non-Hispanic Blacks, Hispanics, and non-Hispanic American Indians/Alaska natives compared to non-Hispanic Whites, those with less education and income, those in the western United States, and those with no smoke-free workplace policy. Among all employed adults, 83.8% and 23.2% believed smoking should never be allowed in indoor and outdoor areas of workplaces, respectively. One-fifth of employed U.S. adult nonsmokers are exposed to SHS in the workplace, and disparities in exposure exist across states and subpopulations. Most employed adults believe indoor areas of workplaces should be smoke free, and nearly one-quarter believe outdoor areas should be smoke free. Efforts to protect employees from SHS exposure and to educate the public about the dangers of SHS and benefits of smoke-free workplaces could be beneficial.

Terrorism and Freedom of Expression: An Econometric Analysis

We apply empirical methods to examine the relationship between the frequency of terrorist incidences and freedom of expression, which we measure using Freedom House's Freedom of the Press report, and access to landline telephones, mobile phones, and the Internet. Using standard ordinary least squares econometric methods, we ultimately find that greater mobile phone access tends to increase the frequency of terrorist incidences at a diminishing rate and that greater Internet access tends to decrease the frequency of terrorist incidences at a diminishing rate. On average, the frequency of terrorist incidences is highest when societies have access to 137.89 mobile phone subscriptions for each 100 people, and lowest when the percentage of people with Internet access is at 64.79%. Based on our results, we cannot conclude that either freedom of the press or landline telephone access have any statistically significant influence on the frequency of terrorist incidences.

Abstract MP91: Self-Reported Sitting Time Using a Two-Question Method Is a Good Measure of Sedentary Behavior: Findings in the New York City Adult Population

Introduction: Sedentary behavior is defined as activities that require low energy expenditure (1.0 - 1.5 [METs]). Sitting time is a specific domain of sedentary behavior that is associated with metabolic disturbances, decreased life expectancy, and mortality - outcomes that occur independent of meeting physical activity guidelines. Population-level prevalence estimates of the ‘active couch potato’, or active adults who engage in at least 7+ hours of sitting time a day, are needed. Hypothesis: We tested that the two-question method of self-reported sitting time would have adequate construct validity for population surveillance. Methods: The New York City Health Department conducted the 2011 Physical Activity and Transit (PAT) Survey using random-digit dial (cell and landline telephones) methods (n=3811); an additional subset of participants wore accelerometers for a seven-day period (n=679). Sedentary time was defined as accelerometer minutes with <100 counts on valid days (those with 10 hours of wear time). Self-reported sitting time was assessed from two questions on time spent sitting awake for daytime and evening. Construct validity was assessed using Spearman’s Rho and examination of a Bland-Altman plot. Multivariable regression models were used to assess demographic factors associated with sitting time and measured sedentary time. Prevalence of the ‘active couch potato’ was defined as those adults who were meeting the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans of at least 150 min/week of physical activity, but who also self-reported sitting for 7+ hours per day, using both accelerometer and self-reported data. All data were weighted and analyzed in SUDAAN 10. Results: Self-reported mean daily sitting time was 444 min (7.4 hours); accelerometer-based mean daily sedentary time was 494 min (8.2 hours; correlation: r=0.32, p<0.01). The mean difference was 49 min/d (Limits of Agreement: -441-343). In adjusted models, higher measured sedentary time was associated with older age and higher education. Sitting time was higher in women, Asians and those with a higher education, and lower in foreign-born persons and Hispanics, compared to referent groups. The prevalence of being an ‘active couch potato’ was 56.9% and was highest among high-income, highly educated New Yorkers. Conclusions: Sitting time can be accurately assessed by self-report for population surveillance, but may be limited in characterizing individual-level behavior. Differences in measurement characteristics suggest that accelerometer-based measurements may not be an appropriate way to validate self-reported sitting time. Sedentary behavior appears to be prevalent in two different groups: (1) older adults and; (2) working-age adults of higher socioeconomic status. Targeted interventions to minimize extended periods of sedentary activity among these groups are warranted. 1

Sodium Reduction in Communities Shawnee County Survey 2011

Hypertension is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease and contributes to nearly half of all cardiovascular disease-related deaths in the United States. Even small reductions in sodium intake may lower blood pressure, help prevent the onset of hypertension, or help control blood pressure among hypertensive adults. Current nationally recommended strategies to reduce sodium intake include increasing public awareness about the amount of sodium added to processed and packaged foods and the health outcomes of a high-sodium diet. To assess knowledge and behaviors related to sodium consumption among Shawnee County, Kansas, adults. Multicomponent survey, including random digit-dialed landline telephone interview, clinic-measured blood pressure, and a 24-hour dietary recall, conducted during April-November 2011. Population-based sample of noninstitutionalized adults 18 years and older living in households with landline telephones in Shawnee County, Kansas. Knowledge about food sources of sodium and the link between sodium intake and hypertension; consumption of foods away from home and selected high-sodium foods; and addition of salt to foods. Eighty-three percent of adults strongly agreed or agreed that most of the sodium we eat comes from packaged, processed, store-bought, and restaurant foods, and 93.0% thought that a high-salt diet could cause hypertension. Adults ate slightly more than 3 meals prepared outside the home per week, on average, and 1 in 4 adults added salt very often in cooking or preparing meals. Mean sodium intake among Shawnee County adults was 3508 mg per day. Despite extensive knowledge regarding food sources of sodium and the link between sodium intake and high blood pressure, mean sodium intake among Shawnee County adults exceeds current recommendations. The Shawnee County Sodium Reduction in Communities Program is currently implementing interventions that support access to and availability of lower-sodium options in Shawnee County.

Epidemiology of upper gastrointestinal symptoms in Brazil (EpiGastro): A population-based study according to sex and age group

To determine the prevalences of symptoms consistent with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and dyspepsia in South America. A telephone survey was conducted among adult owners of land-based telephones in São Paulo, Brazil, using previously validated computer-assisted sampling and survey protocols. The Portuguese-language survey included (1) sociodemographic characteristics (e.g., weight, height, smoking) and comorbidities; (2) dietary habits; (3) presence of symptoms consistent with GERD or dyspepsia within the prior 3 mo; and (4) use of medications and other therapies to manage symptoms. Data were stratified post-hoc into three homogeneous geographical regions of São Paulo according to the Social Exclusion Indices of the districts and postal codes. Survey response data from each respondent were weighted by the numbers of adults and landline telephones in each household. The analyses were weighted to account for sampling design and to be representative of the São Paulo population according to city census data. Among 4570 households contacted, an adult from 3050 (66.7%) agreed to participate. The nonresponse rate was 33.3%. The mean (SE) respondent age was 42.6 (16.0) years. More than half of all respondents were women (53.1%), aged 18 through 49 years (66.7%), married or cohabitating (52.5%), and/or above normal-weight standards (i.e., 35.3% overweight and 16.3% obese). A total of 26.5% of women were perimenopausal. More than 20% of respondents reported highly frequent symptoms consistent with GERD (e.g., gastric burning sensation = 20.8%) or dyspepsia (e.g., abdominal swelling/distension = 20.9%) at least once per month. Prevalences of these symptoms were significantly (approximately 1.5- to 2.0-fold) higher among women than men but did not vary significantly as a function of advancing age. For instance, 14.1% of women reported that they experienced stomach burning (symptom of GERD) at least twice per week, compared to 8.4% of men (P = 0.012 by χ(2) test). A total of 15.7% of women reported that they experienced abdominal swelling (symptom of dyspepsia) at least twice per week, compared to 6.4% of men (P < 0.001 by χ(2) test). Despite frequent manifestations of GERD or dyspepsia, most (≥ 90%) respondents reported that they neither received prescription medications from physicians, nor took behavioral measures (e.g., dietary modifications), to manage symptoms. Symptoms consistent with dyspepsia and GERD are prevalent in Brazil and represent major public-health and clinical challenges.

Stockpiles and food availability in feeding facilities after the Great East Japan Earthquake.

Food stockpiles and methods of ensuring food availability after the Great East Japan Earthquake of March 11, 2011 have been studied. Questionnaires were sent to 1911 registered dietitians and general dietitians who were members of the Japan Dietetic Association in August 2012. Four hundred thirty-five dietitians (22.8%) completed the questionnaire about work involved in feeding facilities, types and administration of meals, and food stockpiles. Methods of ensuring food availability, preparation, and accommodating food for special dietary uses were recorded for the three-day period immediately following the earthquake, and the period from 4 days to one month after the earthquake. Three days after the earthquake, differences in administration of meals at feeding facilities providing three meals daily, food stockpiles, organization, contactable facilities, and how to contact them for food items were assessed. Sixty-nine percent of all feeding facilities in this study had stockpiles of food before the Great East Japan Earthquake. Administration of meals in feeding facilities and the possibility of contact with cooperative feeding facilities were found to correlate positively with ensuring the availability of food groups. Food scores were higher in facilities providing three meals daily by direct administration of meals and with accessible public administrators, cooperative facilities and suppliers, and facilities that were contactable by landline telephone, mobile phone, fax or email. The necessity for natural disaster-readiness through continuous stockpiling food at feeding facilities is confirmed. Each prospective feeding facility must be required to plan its stockpiles, their turnover and replaceability to maximise food security in the face of disaster.

Characteristics of heterosexual regular relationships among a representative sample of adults: the Second Australian Study of Health and Relationships.

Background The aim of this study was to describe important characteristics of Australian adults' heterosexual regular sexual relationships and examine how these characteristics have changed since 2002. Computer-assisted landline and mobile telephone interviews were completed by a representative sample of 20 094 Australian residents aged 16-69 years. The participation rate among eligible people was 66.2%. Data were collected on respondents' social and demographic characteristics, relationship status and duration, cohabitation status, partner's age, contraception use, expectations about sexual exclusivity, sexual partners in the previous year, actual and ideal frequencies of sex and levels of physical pleasure and emotional satisfaction in their relationships. Most sexually active respondents 89%; 74% of all respondents, were in a heterosexual regular relationship. Most (97%) expected sexual exclusivity in their relationships, with 3% reporting extradyadic sex in the previous year. Respondents reported an average frequency of sex of 1.44 times per week, with most reporting very high levels of physical pleasure (men, 88%; women, 76%) and emotional satisfaction (men, 86%; women, 84%) in their relationships. Comparisons with data from the First Australian Study of Health and Relationships revealed that significantly more sexually active men were in a relationship in the current survey; that respondents' average frequency of sex was significantly lower; and that women's reports of extreme emotional satisfaction had risen. Otherwise, results were consistent with those of the first study. In general, results suggested that the characteristics of Australians' heterosexual relationships changed little between 2002 and 2013. Despite a decline in respondents' average weekly frequency of sex, the majority of respondents reported being in a highly satisfying, sexually exclusive relationship.

Attitudes toward sex and relationships: the Second Australian Study of Health and Relationships.

Background Attitudes towards sex and relationships influence laws about what is and is not permissible and social sanctions against behaviours considered unacceptable. They are an important focus for research given their links to sexual behaviour. The aim of the present study was to describe attitudes towards sex and relationships, to identify correlates of scores on a scale of sexual liberalism and to examine responses to jealousy-evoking scenarios among Australian adults. Computer-assisted landline and mobile telephone interviews were completed by a population-representative sample of 20094 men and women aged 16-69 years. The overall participation rate among eligible people was 66.2%. Respondents expressed their agreement with 11 attitude statements, five of which formed a valid scale of liberalism, and also responded to a jealousy-evoking scenario. There was general agreement that premarital sex was acceptable (87%), that sex was important for wellbeing (83%) and that sex outside a committed relationship was unacceptable (83%). Respondents were accepting of homosexual behaviour and abortion and few believed that sex education encouraged earlier sexual activity. More liberal attitudes were associated with: being female; speaking English at home; homosexual or bisexual identity; not being religious; greater education; and higher incomes. Respondents who expressed more liberal attitudes had more diverse patterns of sexual experience. Predicted sex differences were found in response to the jealousy-evoking scenario - men were more jealous of a partner having sex with someone else and women were more jealous of a partner forming an emotional attachment - but responses varied with age. Sexual attitudes of Australians largely support a permissive but monogamous paradigm. Since 2002, there has been a shift to less tolerance of sex outside a committed relationship, but greater acceptance of homosexual behaviour.

Introduction to Political Analysis Mini-Symposium on Advances in Survey Methodology

Over the last decade the survey environment has been rapidly changing, creating new opportunities and new challenges for survey methodologists. These include: relatively low response among all contact modes and designs; the rapid replacement of landline telephones for mobile and smart phones; the integration of new and different types of data for sampling and new sampling methods; the use of different survey interview modes; how to study behaviors and opinions about sensitive topics; and the development of survey designs for experts and opinion leaders. All have implications for data quality and for our ability to consistently and reliably answer substantive and theoretical questions about politics and society.

Occurence of Internet Addiction in a General Population Sample: A Latent Class Analysis

Background: Prevalence studies of Internet addiction in the general population are rare. In addition, a lack of approved criteria hampers estimation of its occurrence. Aims: This study conducted a latent class analysis (LCA) in a large general population sample to estimate prevalence. Methods: A telephone survey was conducted based on a random digit dialling procedure including landline telephone (n = 14,022) and cell phone numbers (n = 1,001) in participants aged 14-64. The Compulsive Internet Use Scale (CIUS) served as the basis for a LCA used to look for subgroups representing participants with Internet addiction or at-risk use. CIUS was given to participants reporting to use the Internet for private purposes at least 1 h on a typical weekday or at least 1 h on a day at the weekend (n = 8,130). Results: A 6-class model showed best model fit and included two groups likely to represent Internet addiction and at-risk Internet use. Both groups showed less social participation and the Internet addiction group less general trust in other people. Proportions of probable Internet addiction were 1.0% (CI 0.9-1.2) among the entire sample, 2.4% (CI 1.9-3.1) in the age group 14-24, and 4.0% (CI 2.7-5.7) in the age group 14-16. No difference in estimated proportions between males and females was found. Unemployment (OR 3.13; CI 1.74-5.65) and migration background (OR 3.04; CI 2.12-4.36) were related to Internet addiction. Conclusions: This LCA-based study differentiated groups likely to have Internet addiction and at-risk use in the general population and provides characteristics to further define this rather new disorder.

Development of Zigbee-Wifi-Wimax Hybrid Wireless Sensor Network based Telemedicine System

This paper is an outcome of an on-going research project sponsored by department of (DST), Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India, in which a wireless sensor network based on ZigBee-WiFi-Wi-Max hybrid wireless sensor network (WSN) has been developed. This system has been used for implementing telemedicine system as an information gateway between old age homes and nearby hospitals, for the purpose of transmitting health data wirelessly over a distance of about 20 km range. This system is developed in two separate modules, one consisting of ZigBee based WSN which is applied for wireless data transmission up to a distance of two kilometres, and the other comprises of WiFi-Wi-Max based WSN used to transmit data up to a distance of twenty kilometres. The hybrid wireless network has been tested for distance range, speed of data transfer and time delays for bulk data transfer. Several observations were collected and it has been proved experimentally that the developed system is low cost, consumes relatively low power, and transmits data efficiently without significant time delay in bulk data transmission. Another solution which has been designed and validated is to transfer all data to a database residing on web. This database can be accessed via 3G – GRPS connection on PDA, Mobile phones at any location across the globe. For areas without pre-existing physical cable or landline telephone networks, wireless application protocol (WAP) may be a viable alternative for broadband access between remote ZigBee networks and hospital information centre that has been economically unavailable. In the ZigBee-Wi-Max hybrid system first low distance information (within old age home) is transmitted wirelessly using ZigBee technology. Then this information is transferred to Web server and it can be assessed on Laptops/ Computers having internet connection, mobile phones, personnel digital assistant (PDAs) using GPRS connection. The performance of the hybrid system has been evaluated based on numeric result of testing.

Potencial sesgo de selección en las encuestas telefónicas: teléfonos fijos y móviles

The increasing use of mobile phones in the last decade has decreased landline telephone coverage in Spanish households. This study aimed to analyze sociodemographic characteristics and health indicators by type of telephone service (mobile phone vs. landline or landline and mobile phone). Two telephone surveys were conducted in Spanish samples (February 2010 and February 2011). Multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to analyze differences in the main sociodemographic characteristics and health indicators according to the type of telephone service available in Spanish households. We obtained 2027 valid responses (1627 landline telephones and 400 mobile phones). Persons contacted through a mobile phone were more likely to be a foreigner, to belong to the manual social class, to have a lower educational level, and to be a smoker than those contacted through a landline telephone. The profile of the population that has only a mobile phone differs from that with a landline telephone. Therefore, telephone surveys that exclude mobile phones could show a selection bias.

Texting Home: Examining the Mobile Phone Practices of Student Newcomers to Toronto

We investigate the roles that new media play in supporting the relationships of young people in their first-year of university in Toronto. We consider the experiences of domestic and newly emigrated students and their adjustment to life outside their home countries, focusing on the use of social technologies for adjustment.Cette communication examine le rôle des nouveaux médias comme point d'ancrage relationnel des jeunes étudiants universitaires de première année à Toronto. Sont prises en considération les expériences d'étudiants locaux et étrangers ainsi que leur ajustement à la vie à l'extérieur de leur pays d'origine, avec une attention particulière à l'utilisation de technologies sociales comme médiateur de cet ajustement.

Older people’s health-related ICT-use in Sweden

Purpose The aim of this study was to describe the degree to which information and communication technology (ICT) was utilised by older people for health information and communication with health services during a one-year period in Sweden. Methods The participants(n=154) were aged 55 and over (mean 71.9, 52% women) and had been randomly selected from a population register. The participants responded to a survey with a set of questions about their general usage of ICT appliances, as well as their usage of different ICT tools to retrieve health information and to communicate with the health services. Results The results showed that, in contrast to a rather frequent general ICT usage, the most common way to communicate with healthcare services was by personal contacts or by a landline telephone. A mobile phone was used by 24% of such communications, SMS messagesby 11%, websites, chat forums or blogs by 4%, and audio and video communication by2%. Self-reported overweight problems, general use of mobile phone, and general use of Internet were significantly and independently associated with having experience of using mobile phones or more advanced ICT appliances in contacts with the health services. Conclusion The low health-related ICT usage found in this study may be understood as a low degree of implementation of ICT in contact with health services, but the relatively high experience of general ICT usage indicates a potential for a wider use in the future in Sweden.

Comparison of Address-based Sampling and Random-digit Dialing Methods for Recruiting Young Men as Controls in a Case-Control Study of Testicular Cancer Susceptibility

Random-digit dialing (RDD) using landline telephone numbers is the historical gold standard for control recruitment in population-based epidemiologic research. However, increasing cell-phone usage and diminishing response rates suggest that the effectiveness of RDD in recruiting a random sample of the general population, particularly for younger target populations, is decreasing. In this study, we compared landline RDD with alternative methods of control recruitment, including RDD using cell-phone numbers and address-based sampling (ABS), to recruit primarily white men aged 18-55 years into a study of testicular cancer susceptibility conducted in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, metropolitan area between 2009 and 2012. With few exceptions, eligible and enrolled controls recruited by means of RDD and ABS were similar with regard to characteristics for which data were collected on the screening survey. While we find ABS to be a comparably effective method of recruiting young males compared with landline RDD, we acknowledge the potential impact that selection bias may have had on our results because of poor overall response rates, which ranged from 11.4% for landline RDD to 1.7% for ABS.

Health Reform and the US Virgin Islands

There are 4.1 million residents living in the US territories, which is more than the combined population of many US states, yet the territories and their citizens are often overlooked from a policy perspective, because most individual territories are relatively small, geographically isolated, and have been treated differently than the states historically. This tendency to fall beneath the radar is clear in the realm of health policy, especially in the area of insurance coverage. This article provides an initial assessment of the potential impact of health reform on the US Virgin Islands (USVI) and, in light of this assessment, considers how the results of a USVI household survey conducted in 2003 and 2009 might be used as a baseline for future monitoring of the impact of national reform. A study by the Virgin Island's Bureau of Economic Research, Office of the Governor, and the University of Minnesota, was conducted in 2003 and 2009. The Virgin Islands Health Insurance telephone Surveys were random digit dial landline telephone surveys of households in the USVI. A stratified sample was drawn to produce precise estimates of insurance coverage for the USVI as a whole and for the 3 islands separately. Almost one-third of the residents (28.7%) in the Virgin Islands were uninsured in 2009. This rate is twice the US average (15.4%) and significantly higher than the uninsured rate of 24.1% when a similar survey was last conducted the Virgin Islands in 2003. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 provides special funding to the territories through a mix of increased Medicaid caps for each territory and the provision of premium subsidies through newly established health insurance exchanges to low-income populations. However, the Affordable Care Act's Medicaid expansions to newly eligible adults--primarily adults without children--are limited to current eligibility levels in the territories, which is $5,500 in annual income for adult coverage in the USVI. Within these abbreviated parameters, the Medicaid expansion can go so far only toward mitigating uninsurance among the lowest income groups in the territories. With certain low-income childless adults overlooked, the Affordable Care Act does not fully address the high need for affordable health insurance coverage in the territories.

Estimating Nonresponse Bias in a Telephone-based Health Surveillance Survey in New York City

Despite concerns about nonresponse bias due to decreasing response rates, telephone surveys remain a viable option for conducting local population-based surveillance. However, this becomes problematic for urban populations, which typically have higher nonresponse rates. Unfortunately, traditional methods of evaluating nonresponse bias pose challenges for public health practitioners due to high costs. In this study, we sought to increase understanding of survey nonresponse at the zip code level in an urban area and to demonstrate the use of a practical tool for assessing nonresponse bias. Data from the 2008 New York City Community Health Survey, a landline telephone survey of residential households in New York, New York, were matched with zip-code-level data from the 2000 US Census. Although response rates varied across zip codes and zip-code-level sociodemographic characteristics, estimated nonresponse bias for the 5 health measures (general health status, current health insurance coverage, asthma, binge drinking, and physical activity) was not substantial (ranging from -3.8% to 2.4%). Findings confirmed previous research that survey participation rates can vary a great deal across small areas and that there is no direct relationship between response rates and nonresponse bias. This study highlights the importance of assessing nonresponse bias for local urban surveys and demonstrates a workable assessment tool.

Automatic speaker recognition with crosslanguage speech material

Automatic systems for forensic speaker recognition (FASR) claim to be largely independent of language based on the fact that feature vectors are composed of acoustic parameters that are derived from the resonance characteristics of vocal tract cavities. Yet a certain ‘language gap’ may remain which may deteriorate the performance of a system unless properly compensated. This forensic aspect of what may be called cross-language speaker recognition has not yet received due attention. Based on the most common forensic cross language setting, the aim of this study was to assess the effect of language mismatch on the performance of a standard FASR system and compare its magnitude with the effect of other sources of mismatch on the same voice data. Using the automatic system Batvox 3 in an experiment with 75 bilingual speakers of seven languages and four kinds of transmission channels, it can be shown that, if speaker model and reference population are matched in terms of language, the remaining mismatch between speaker model and test sample can be neglected, since equal error rates (EERs) for same-language or cross-language comparisons are approximately the same, ranging from zero to 5.6%. Transmission of the speech data via landline telephone, GSM and, for part of the corpus, VoIP (using Skype) caused EERs to rise by less than 1% on average.