Death knell for landlines - RANT

[MossRoad]

You don't need a land line to send a fax(document). Make a copy of the document on your 3 in 1 printer, add it as an attachment to an email & send it to whomever you want. They can print out a hard copy when they receive the email.

That's not a FAX, that's an email. Some government agencies and financial institutions still require an actual FAX. I had to send one this year.... one. :laughing:

 

[MossRoad]

Our in-laws have no cell signals inside their house. I think its a stinking Faraday cage! :laughing:

We have no cell signal on our rural property, unless you go down to the bottom of the hill and stand almost in the creek. Until that's remedied, we'll have land lines. Its required by my work to be reachable when on-call.

 

[turnkey4099]

At my location it's the only way I can get Internet on my Home Computer.

Same here. It is that or Hughes Net and I won't even consider that!

Harry K

 

[coobie]

Because we old! :laughing:

At least that's my reason.

Us to,waiting for the first big satellite (crash/towers out)on cell phones to go out of service.Might get interesting.

 

[GaryLock]

I have cell phones for the wife and myself, and also one for the parents as an emergency phone. I have magic-jack, and I love it, as my back-up phone. My wife left her phone at her sister's, and another time, dropped it in a puddle. Not having connection to her, and her to the outside world, worried me. Magic-Jack is internet based phone and runs my less than $30 a year. I think I got 5 yrs. for $120. I know it is there if I need it. I have it hooked up to the 6 wireless phones in the house (that also ring and work with my cell phones) so I can carry the phone on the tractor outside and know when any three of my phones are ringing. Works pretty well. Would love to dump cell phones too, but they are a good thing for safety, so I am stuck with having them.

 

[k0ua]

There are many internet based Fax services. You don't need a fax machine even for a business. The fax servers are in the cloud, To send a fax you usually just send an email to the server, or upload it on a web page. The centrally based server sends it with your Id. To receive a fax you publish your unique 800 number to your clients (put this number on your letterhead and business cards) and when faxes are sent to this 800 number the cloud based fax servers send the fax in the form of a .tif or jpg file to your email box. No paper, no phone lines, no supplies for the machine, no machine. Complete privacy also, no sneaking by the common office fax machine and seeing what your cube-mate is getting on the old fax machine.

 

[grsthegreat]

You don't need a land line to send a fax(document). Make a copy of the document on your 3 in 1 printer, add it as an attachment to an email & send it to whomever you want. They can print out a hard copy when they receive the email.

Not all people have email. Believe it or not. Actually these few times ate all associated with financial institutions that require mail or fax ONLY.

 

[Garandman]

Us to,waiting for the first big satellite (crash/towers out)on cell phones to go out of service.Might get interesting.

For example, when hurricanes or other big storms hit? What, exactly, is going to make the cell phone network "go out?"

During the Boston Marathon bombing the local cell network was overwhelmed for a while, but you could still text.

 

[4570Man]

You need a land line if you have an ADT alarm system for burglary/fire. Wouldn't be without it.

You can get those to work from a cell phone. The cell phone ones work better anyway. No phone line to cut.

 

[k0ua]

For example, when hurricanes or other big storms hit? What, exactly, is going to make the cell phone network "go out?"

During the Boston Marathon bombing the local cell network was overwhelmed for a while, but you could still text.

The cell network is just as vulnerable as the land line network, because it also uses the land line network. Cell towers are fed with either copper T1 lines or increasingly were possible with fiber bandwidth. But it is no more robust than the connected network feeding the towers. The MTSO's (Mobile Telephone Switching Office) are interfaced into the land line network also. It is all connected, and is all a part of the greater telecommunication network. Additionally of course the towers and radio's and feedlines offer additional vulnerability to weather events. And the towers have to have power, usually standard electrical service, battery backup and generators. Some may also have solar supplement, I am not sure on that. When the EMP comes, it is all going to be junk. Something to look forward to.