Tip of the day.

[cdaigle430]

LOL, if that ever happens dodge man everything will go out. The landline system is even more vulnerable to disaster and is heavily dependant on electronics. The US is upgrading the wifi and Cell system as a result of 911 for preventive measures. Everything is getting hardened and cell spots are almost available to every part of the US now in some form or another. Besides-cell phones are also becoming obsolete like the lansline and its going to make way for Wifi and Voice Over IP. People can no user the internet as a landline as well.

By the way, my landline here when I had one has been down several times, my cell phone-0 in the 20 years I have owned one. I now only have a cell phone and guess what-I can take it anywhere I want. For safety sake-a cell phone beats a landline any day-why, because I can call for help from almost anywhere I go while my landline is stuck at home. Most cell phone have a GPS built in so they can now pinpoint where I am if I turn it on.

 

[Bob77064]

In regards to people counting on technology. My wife works for a telephone co-op. You know the kind of phone that used to be on the kitchen wall and went "ring ring" instead of playing some kind of ring tone. As many of you know, and probably many of you already have done, people are getting rid of their land lines. My wife has a theory that some day there will be some kind of event that will affect cell phone users. Maybe this is just a large local storm that affects a lot of people, but is still a local event, or maybe some kind of large scale electronic failure, but people will find themselves without cell phones for a extended period of time. Believe it not, a land line phone is one of the most reliable things you can have, its almost always more reliable than your electricity. This is not just a safety issue, but people have come to rely on cell phones for business, transportation, internet service, and many other things.

I'm not trying to sell you on your local phone company, but its something to think about before dumping your land line.

When I lived in Houston, tropical storm Allison hit June 2001. The cell phones did not work for about three days.

 

[phiferpharm]

I'm in the sporatic cell signal at best category, so ditching the landline is not an option. I did buy a set of wireless phones that will work when the power goes out and so far, they have worked as advertised. For backup, I do keep a plug in wired phone in the cabinet below the main house phone. In my area, the only thing that is buried is the landline phone. I figured that out with my post hole digger two years ago...:ashamed:

 

[rekees4300]

I'm not trying to sell you on your local phone company, but its something to think about before dumping your land line.

I'm paying around $35 a month for a land line that gets used maybe once a month. Not worth it but like you say it's more of an insurance policy than a communications device.

 

[CompactTractorFan]

We actually still use our landline more than our cell phones, so it is going to stay.

 

[MikeInEburg]

Regarding the reliability of cellular system vs wireline system, the reality is that every cell tower is connected to the network via one or more DS1 circuits that run through the local "landline" central office. So, if a catastrophic event takes out a central office, all served cell towers will also be down.

 

[Tollster]

I am pretty content with a land line here, and happy to say I do not own a cell phone, also pretty content if I use it once a week. Seems like a good deal for me.