Here’s why you should keep your landline, even in 2025

Mobile network outage It can leave you stranded Without one of our most important lines of access To the world for hours. What good is a smartphone if it can’t communicate, especially in an emergency?

An AT&T outage earlier this year interrupted services More than 12 hours In several of the most populous cities in the United States, in September, a Verizon outage caused some customers to remain in SOS mode for a large portion of the day. These interruptions serve as reminders The dangers of relying on cell phones only.

Maybe it made you rethink the place of a once standard-issue but now almost obsolete home device: the landline telephone. Here’s what to consider when deciding whether to keep (or get) a landline.

Do you remember the landline?

Landlines are telephones that connect to specialized wires in our homes. The iconic image is of a rotary dial telephone – usually rented from the telephone company – which is either hung on a wall or placed on a nightstand or table, although push-button landlines and later wireless landlines have replaced many of these ancients in the world . 1980s. Landline phones connect to each other through a global communications network built up over more than a century. But with cell phones becoming more widely available and affordable, many people have chosen to stop using landlines altogether.

A 2022 survey by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that only about 29% of American adults live in a home with a landline phone. Down from more than 90% in 2004. The crossover occurred around 2015, a time that also saw smartphone sales Entered a period of prosperity Which reshaped the technology industry and helped transform iPhone Apple maker in One of the most valuable companies in the world.

Anne Williams is one of the people who hasn’t given up on her landlines yet. When asked why she kept it, she described moving to Huntsville, Alabama, after A.J Hurricane outbreak On April 27, 2011, when dozens of tornadoes killed at least 250 people and knocked out power for days. Although she moved there after the hurricanes, hearing about the event brought to mind the importance of always having a phone call.

“The weather here is unpredictable,” she told me in an interview. But landlines have dedicated power and often operate even in the event of a service outage. “We remember a day when it was absolutely necessary to have (the landline),” Williams said.

What makes landlines more reliable?

Landline telephones operate on a separate infrastructure, built of copper telephone lines that are inexpensive to construct and fairly reliable. It also does not have the drawbacks of cellular networks, such as dropped calls, poor and distorted quality, or poor reception.

One of the main reasons people keep landlines is that they tend to work even during power outages, which is a big plus for people whose work involves emergency services, businesses, or healthcare.

Analogue fax machines are also designed around landline telephone systems, meaning that most hospitals and doctors’ offices, as well as policy and law offices, need to keep a landline telephone connection running.

Disadvantages of fixed telephone

The US Federal Communications Commission is Phase-out requirements To telephone companies to provide landline services (called plain old telephone service) throughout the country. As a result, more homes and commercial offices are being built with Ethernet plugs rather than Ethernet plugs Telephone jacks.

Landline connections aren’t cheap either. CNET’s cousin AllConnect He notices it AT&T’s traditional home phone plan starts at $48 per month, and you have to use the company’s Internet as well. CenturyLink is cheaper, starting at $30 per month, and Spectrum will charge up to $20 per month.

Not all landlines use copper phone lines. Increasingly, companies rely their phone systems on their Internet connections, a service called Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP. AllConnect currently tracks only three providers that offer old-fashioned landlines: CenturyLink, Comcast Xfinity, and Cox.

How to get a landline

If you’re ready to set up a landline, call your local phone company and ask about phone services. If you live in an apartment building, it is important for you to know where the telephone junction box is located. Typically, the owner should know this, and if not, the local phone company should be able to find it.

Here are some follow-up questions to ask, and what to look for in answers:

• Are landlines VoIP or are they POTS? Ideally, if you are looking for security and reliability, POTS is what you want. VoIP can work but be aware that it will likely depend on your internet modem and your business connection.
• If VoIP, does the company have backup power systems to ensure the voice line works in the event of a power outage? Most companies sell spare batteries that you can purchase directly from them. You can use an uninterruptible power supply, perhaps from CyberPower or APC. Note that these are different from Portable power supply. Portable power supplies allow you to stay electronically powered on the go, but are not intended to constantly monitor for power outages and then kick in as needed.
• Local calls are usually free, but calling costs outside your area code. What is the rate structure? Companies like AT&T charge various additional fees that they charge for national calls, as well as for long international calls. Long-distance calls in particular are usually charged by the minute, and companies don’t always publish this information on their website. Make sure you know the cost, and if it’s expensive, consider using a chat app like Signal, WhatsApp, Google Meet, or Apple FaceTime for your long distance calls instead.

What to do with the landline phone

If you have a landline but leave it languishing, withdrawing money from your bank account every month, you’re not alone. But there are some ways to make it more useful.

Google Voice It’s a popular option, as it gives you a new phone number that acts as a sort of hub. When people call, Google Voice connects to every phone they’re connected to, whether it’s a home landline, a cell phone, a business phone, or something else.

There are other similar services as well, including Zoom and RingCentralIf you don’t like working with Google.

It is also possible to call a landline phone Homeland security systems and Medical alert sensors To help ensure that if you are in an emergency, help will be there as soon as possible.

If you can’t get a landline

If you don’t qualify for a landline, or don’t like the service provided, you have more options from satellite providers. Companies like HughesNet and SpaceX can support VoIP technology over their Internet connections.

Phone manufacturers like Apple are also developing slowly Satellite messages on their devices. The iPhone 14, which debuted in 2022, has a feature called Emergency SOSwhich can connect to the satellite to send location data to your friends or an emergency text message to the authorities.