How many still have a Landline in their home?

[lman]

We canceled our landline service about ten years ago. In addition to its lack of use, it kept developing static during rainy weather. I think the company was already minimizing their maintenance of this nearly obsolete infrastructure.

About four years ago, we had fiber run to the house by the same company. After they had left, I was taken back to notice that they had removed the outside telephone connection box and cut all the wiring off flush with the outside bricks. All this was with no questions asked.

On hindsight, I think I had lost the option to reactivate my traditional landline a good while ago. If I decided I wanted a landline again, they would sell a VOIP solution, using the fiber.

If you've got fiber they probably will provide VOIP phone service through the internet. No need for copper.

 

[drssg]

Can I have the phone company come out and pull everything is they discontinue service?

I don't think they would do anything. IME, all wiring inside the house is the homeowner's responsibility. Nobody is going to dig up outside abandoned wiring.

 

[ultrarunner]

I don't think they would do anything. IME, all wiring inside the house is the homeowner's responsibility. Nobody is going to dig up outside abandoned wiring.

I was thinking the apartments where wire is haphazard going every which way on the walls…

 

[John0829]

Phone companies are only responsible to the outside interface (ONI) all house or building wiring is the owners problem even if the wiring was run into the house by the phone company tech. Any and all work on wiring pass the ONI was billable work when I worked as an outside tech.

 

[Oaktree]

Land lines are becoming things of the past. I worked as a lineman for one of the largest companies in the US and they have an active goal to eliminate them. If a line is broken, they won't repair it so if you still have one, pray nothing happens to it. For other customers, they are raising the fees for the analog line to a price most can't or won't want to pay for. I had to disconnect one older fellers line because my company raised the price for his analog line to $750 a month. He was furious too because he said he had that line for over 40 years but he wasn't paying $750 a month for a telephone line..... The infrastructure is old, very old, and they are moving towards fiber optic lines everywhere.

Dunno about where you are, but the telco here has moved to fiber for all but the "last mile". Been that way since the late 00s/early teens.

 

[ultrarunner]

Phone companies are only responsible to the outside interface (ONI) all house or building wiring is the owners problem even if the wiring was run into the house by the phone company tech. Any and all work on wiring pass the ONI was billable work when I worked as an outside tech.

These 1920 apartment buildings don't have outside interfaces in the modern meaning...

They may have terminal block half way down the wall from the line drop at the third story eve or it might be multiple lines dropped from ever to crawl space under the house for smaller plexes... 3 or 4 separate lines or more tuning down the side of the building and sometimes from different poles with the apartment building on a corner...

It's the wires no longer used running down from the eves to crawl space or higher floors.

 

[ultrarunner]

Phone companies are only responsible to the outside interface (ONI) all house or building wiring is the owners problem even if the wiring was run into the house by the phone company tech. Any and all work on wiring pass the ONI was billable work when I worked as an outside tech.

At the hospital it all comes in underground and through conduit to the MPOE mechanical room on the third floor... nothing outside to see and I am always having to provide access to the various providers...

 

[Grumpycat]

Long ago I canceled the traditional land line in favor of a Ooma VoIP.

Today that is the number I give when a vendor demands a phone number but I don't particularly care to be called.

Have the ringer set low. Every week or two I check for voicemail although my phone has a flashing light for that.

 

[John0829]

At the hospital it all comes in underground and through conduit to the MPOE mechanical room on the third floor... nothing outside to see and I am always having to provide access to the various providers...

Yes I was referring to residential, generally single use buildings about the ONI, business or multi use locations the terminus always was/is in the equipment room at the "66" series blocks.

 

[drssg]

Long ago I canceled the traditional land line in favor of a Ooma VoIP.

Today that is the number I give when a vendor demands a phone number but I don't particularly care to be called.

Have the ringer set low. Every week or two I check for voicemail although my phone has a flashing light for that.

I use an app on my smartphone, called Textfree, for that purpose. It provides a local phone number that people can call. Incoming calls are free. Outgoing calls cost money. All texting is free.

I use it when I'm ordering something and they require a phone number. I've also used it when I'm selling something online.

I keep the ringer set to silent, and I'll occasionally get a garbage message on it.

 

[hube2]

I still have a landline and I likely will keep it for a long time.
I joke and say it's the number I give to people I don't want to talk to. There is and answering machine on it and if it's important then whoever it is needs to say something, otherwise I never pick it up.
Beside this, it will always work. The phone lines are burred, unlike everything else. The phone company supplies their own power to the lines. I have an old corded phone hooked up to one of the jacks. Anyone ever watched "The Day After Tomorrow"? It's a stupid movie but the part about phone lines is close to the truth. I know that phone line will work no matter what and if it doesn't work then we're all in trouble.

 

[Rockbadchild]

I am sure some will relate... I still remember all my childhood friends land line numbers to this day but yet don't know my wife cell phone number lol

 

[grsthegreat]

Landlines will work up until the time telcos are no longer responsible to maintain them. Its happening already. Zipply doesnt maintain its infrastructure. Soon, they will shut down the equipment that is required to route the landline calls as the equipment fails. Building permits here have not required electricians to even wire new homes for landlines. I myself have not wired a phoneline in over 10+ years. Still do catv though.

before i retired, heck i stopped wiring ethernet also. People just didnt want that anymore.

 

[hube2]

before i retired, heck i stopped wiring ethernet also. People just didnt want that anymore.

Tell me about it. I finished part of my basement in the early aughts and put ethernet cables in walls connected to an ethernet router, all completely useless now.

 

[grsthegreat]

My house is wired with twin ethernet, phone and twin catvs throughout house, and 2 recessed device cabinets. Dont use any of it. Not even the phones. Tvs are all smart with wifi.

 

[John0829]

Wifi is easier but if ethernet is available (wire already run) it is what I will use over wifi, no interference, reliable connection and no range limit as long as the run is less than 326'.

 

[grsthegreat]

Ya, but than i cant carry my ipad with me around house.

 

[Grumpycat]

Tell me about it. I finished part of my basement in the early aughts and put ethernet cables in walls connected to an ethernet router, all completely useless now.

Not completely useless.

WiFi is faster if the access points trunk via ethernet rather than "WiFi range extension."

My new house will have CAT6 to strategic locations.

 

[deserteagle71]

Landlines will work up until the time telcos are no longer responsible to maintain them. Its happening already. Zipply doesnt maintain its infrastructure. Soon, they will shut down the equipment that is required to route the landline calls as the equipment fails. Building permits here have not required electricians to even wire new homes for landlines. I myself have not wired a phoneline in over 10+ years.

^This! ATT is saying they want out of maintaining landline here in Nevada.

 

[DarkBlack]

Not sure if this has been mentioned already, because I admit I didn’t read every post, but a true landline is a dedicated self powered 4 wire cable.
A lot of people have telephone over internet, which mimics it and makes a lot of users think they have a landline, but they really don’t.
If your phone has any 120v plug on the base station… it’s not a landline. A landline keeps working without electricity at your home
Just an FYI