Landlines Will Be Obsolete in 3, 2, 1... - Comments Page 1

Category: Telephony



All Comments on: "Landlines Will Be Obsolete in 3, 2, 1..."

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Posted by:

pdsterling
17 Dec 2018

this is not the first time I have heard of this, however I am very concerned about the hardware. I use a headset, connected to a wireline phone, and I want to continue. if this means having only one service with office and wireless service I would be okay, but am frightened of the situation if electricity is interrupted. we were without power for three days this year, during the hurricane. as an aside, we were without cable for over six days!

Posted by:

Kate
17 Dec 2018


Marketers of many goods and services, including communications, forget about those of us who live in rural areas. During our last serious ice storm I was on my own for 6 days without power. I used my land line to talk to people when I was lonely, and knew I had it in case of emergencies. The one time I decided to use my cell phone, the network was busy and I could not place a call!

I know many people who use cell phones only, but most of them live in urban areas. Most of the people I know in the country have cell phones and land lines, too. One couple who lives out of town do not have a land line, but their cell phone reception is so poor that I cannot call them at home, but must text or email, or call them when they happen to be in town.

Posted by:

David
17 Dec 2018

Articles such as this appear to be written for residents of American rather than a world-wide audience. I think the author should keep this in mind for future articles.

Posted by:

Ricky Raccoon
17 Dec 2018

"When the electricity fails, landlines typically continue to operate..."
And there you have it. The single greatest reason to keep a landline. Emergencies happen to everyone sooner or later.
When (not if) the lights (and cable/internet/phone) go out as well, you're at the mercy of your cell tower, which may or may not quickly become swamped with callers trying to get through to loved ones or EMS/Police. How many of us have experienced the dreaded "service unavailable" notification on our cell phone?
Plus, landline or not, an inexpensive power brick could end up saving your bacon. Still, a landline should be your first line of defense.
Why is everyone so swallowed up in technology to the point they want to make the whole world wireless at the expense of perfectly good landline service? The infrastructure has been tried and true for many decades.

Posted by:

ken Heikkila
17 Dec 2018

What are the chances reliable high speed internet (not the paltry, unreliable 5MBPS service we get around here) will be universal before we who live where it is anything but are forced to give up our landlines?
I have a smart phone that I use more than my computer and landline put together, but if I want to be assured I will receive a call in a timely manner or that the recipient of my call will be able to understand me, I use the landline.

Posted by:

SSpiffy
17 Dec 2018

Interesting that Missouri approved this, considering the number of places there that have essentially no wireless service and at best, slow DSL service over - you got it - copper wires.

Sure, allow POTS to be dropped, but only after everyone in your service area has equivalent service quality.

Posted by:

Bob Kinsler
17 Dec 2018

I have kept paying those landline bills (which makes me wonder where on AT&T financials do they list unearned income at?) for years in case of cell phones being hacked or electricity challenges.

Yet, being that the land line around here has been cut numerously by the road grading crew, I doubt if I hook it up again I would get out since there has not been an AT&T repair crew seen for years.

Posted by:

SuePS
17 Dec 2018

The whole system is going to have to be expanded before "everyone" can drop landlines. I live in a semi-rural area which is a "known dead
zone"; my cell only works at home because it's linked to my wifi -- which is provided via my landline. The entire unincorporated township has the same issue.

Posted by:

Michael Keeys
17 Dec 2018

There are still many companies who use work from home employees and their systems are set up to use landline phones.

Posted by:

Jim Huffman
17 Dec 2018

Try "NetTalk" it's a VOIP system. About $50.00 per year.

Posted by:

SkipM
17 Dec 2018

The minute you tell Att&t you are ceasing the use of their landline, they up the fee for your internet. You save very little.
I agree the phone companies what to get rid of the phone lines, but they want you to pay for the cutting of the line. Us people that live in the boonies where high speed WiFi is not available cost keep going up.
I have been looking at Satellite for my internet. Not sure if VOLP can be used over Sat. Right now it runs aboiut $80 per month for Sat internet, if VOLP can be used on Sat, it might be worth the switch.

Posted by:

Andrew S Mace
17 Dec 2018

Uh, "call" me again once you can provide my home with cell service and/or a viable and reliable upgrade from DSL, which is all I can get.

Posted by:

Unitary
17 Dec 2018

Landlines will be obsolete?

Not anytime soon!

Copper landlines are still the most reliable way to deliver high-rate Internet to the residential user using DSL protocols. Coaxial cables are second-best but these cables are also landlines.

>>>> Millions of people are... switching to cellular or VoIP (Internet calling) services.

The cellular systems cannot provide high-rate internet to the residential user.

For VoIP telephones at home one needs the "I" (Internet) and this "I" is and will be provided by landlines.

The POTS landlines and coaxial cables will be gradually replaced by fibers but fibers are also landlines that are made of glass rather than copper.


Posted by:

Kathy
17 Dec 2018

I questioned this problem of no ability to use 911 during power outages; my provider (Comcast) basically said: "TS, buy their backup battery at a cost of about $120 bucks." Been there, done that. A real pain when needing modem resets, plus no warning when battery is dying. It lasts less than three years. They aren't required to provide any emergency functioning.

Posted by:

CC
17 Dec 2018

You HAVE to be kidding??? That means I'll loose my 5mbps link to the World. What's the charge for 60Gig's a month unrestricted data? Who wants to be in the middle of your favorite episode to wait for a 'spinning wheel'? I have a 1TB AT&T limit for 50/month, on top of a 42/month 'copper bill' that always works so I can call the power company to report an outage. This just ***plain*** SUCKS!!!!!

Posted by:

Chuck
17 Dec 2018

I ported my landline to a cell phone when I found out you could do that, a few years back. Held on to that landline way too long, mainly because we had a 30 year history with that number. The AT&T line had become quite expensive and not dependable. The AT&T line would go down and when you called for repair you always got the warning "if the trouble is found to be inside of your house there will be a service charge($100+)". Plus your line could be down for a couple of days. The only drawback was that the spam calls that came to the home number now come to a cell phone. But I guess everyone is suffering from that. Also couldn't use the fax, in the combination printer, without a land line-but who faxes anymore? Bottom line, I'm saving $50 a month and I have gotten completely separated from AT&T. All is good!

Posted by:

troothteller
17 Dec 2018

My Uninterruptible Power Supply was of no use in an emergency. However, I have VOIP for the 12 years I lived at this apartment. The members of my church live in a rural area where cable companies cannot install. So, landline will probably be available for them as long as they cannot have cable despite these residents' desire for a more reliable Internet connection.

Posted by:

Nezzar
17 Dec 2018

Dear Bob,
Thanks much for the heads up. I am in one of those 20 states--Mississippi. But, with all of the rural areas in this state, I cannot imagine what the state legislators were thinking when they gave AT&/T permission to end the landlines.
As to David, who is complaining that this article seems to be written mainly to "American:" Bob lives in America. It is only natural to give us a break with the news.

Posted by:

Mainer
17 Dec 2018

So, in my 2 bdr apartment, I have 5 landline extensions (one being on my standalone fax machine; yes, I still use fax). I've tried to figure out how the cell phone only people have a phone near at hand, say, e.g., next to their bed; do you carry your cell with you everywhere? Yes, I have a cell phone. It cost me about $22 and my monthly TMobile charge is $3.00; it's for carrying with me when I'm on the road for emergencies. Give up my landline? Never.

Posted by:

MartinW
17 Dec 2018

I currently live in central Arkansas. Before that I lived in central Oklahoma. I've had no landline in either place and had no problems. Both are "metro" areas. Before that I lived in northern Minnesota, in the woods, 22 miles from the nearest (very small) town. I had a very reliable landline. If I ever return there (and I'd like to do so), I wonder what cell and Internet service will be like (if even available at all), as well as what the landline service is like now.

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