Landlines may seem like they are all but extinct, but there is still a definitely place for them in today’s world. Here are four good reasons to get (or keep) a landline.
- A landline works when the power is out. This has always been one of the greatest features of landline phones — that they do not rely on the power grid to function. The only electricity they need for carrying communication over the line is handled by the telephone switch, which has backup batteries in case of power outage. Of course, this does not apply to VoIP lines or cordless phones, which do require electricity. And while cell phones do not require electricity in the home to function, they do require it to charge and the nearby tower the connect with must have electricity, so in area-wide outages, cell phones may be down.
- A landline is more comfortable.
Cell phones come in a variety of shapes and sizes but none of them are really shaped to contour to your face or be comfortably held in your hand. That is another advantage of landline phones. Their phones were designed more with ergonomics and comfort in mind, rather than just a convenient size that fits in a pocket or purse. So a long conversation with distant friends or relatives will likely be more comfortable on a landline phone. - The overall cost of a landline phone is typically less than a cellphone. The price of the phone itself is usually under $50 and the cost of monthly service is about $40-50. A cellphone can cost as much as $1200 for the latest model and a cellular plan may run $50 or more for a monthly plan. Considering how easy cellphones are to break and their shelf-life in general, you might have to replace your cellphone three or four times during a landline phone’s first life.
- A landline always has a signal! That’s something that cannot always be said of cellphones in our area. With the hills, valleys, and trees, combined with the sparse placement of towers, a lot of people are unable to get a signal from their homes. A landline, being hardwired by the provider to your home, will always have a signal. The homes perhaps most at risk with this reason are those that “sometimes” get a signal. If a time comes when you really need to make or receive a call, will you be able to count on that signal?
- You’ll always know where your landline is! When you leave the house, you probably put your phone in your pocket or purse, but when you get home, it’s often set down and forgotten — causing you to miss calls because you didn’t get to the phone or it was on silent. And if there’s an emergency and you need a phone, you’ll always know where your landline phone is!
- 911 is much more reliable through your landline phone because it is tied to your home address in the 911 system. Cell phones rely on triangulation from the tower your call hits so finding you is not as precise. If there is an emergency in the home, calling 911 from your landline is the best way to get help.
TCC offers landline phone service throughout our serving area. We offer traditional phone service (over copper-now-fiber) in the communities of Eleva, Strum, Independence, Northfield, Pigeon Falls, and Pleasantville. We offer VoIP (voice over Internet Protocol) phone service to any towns where we can provide Internet. The phone service connects over the Internet line and back to a traditional phone switch.
So, the next time you think a landline is an antiquated, unnecessary technology, remember these reasons and realize that there is still a great need for landline phone service! For information on TCC’s landline services, go to our Services page.