Landline Phones?

[hsmamato2]

This is true, but people please remember that if your purpose is to have emergency backup (and not just clearer reception), your landline cannot also require a separate plug to serve this purpose - which many fancier phones do, to handle the "extra" features like caller id, etc. Also, if your phone runs through cable (like verizon fios), you only get a few hours of emergency service, because fios phones run through a rechargeable battery box that is part of cable box. A few hours better than nothing, but not a full solution when faced with hurricanes of past two years when ny suburbs lost power for weeks

Exactly. I would love to feel secure,and keep a landline, but actual experience has proven it doesn't work like that anymore.Most lines are run through boxes that require power to keep going now- cells stop working if a tower is knocked out,or loses power,or it's battery dies after weeks. It's all pretty much the same now, with the technology used. (I did have an old style no frills cord phone too)

 

[Luvchefmic]

Well her only neighbor is way down the road from her so that was not an option. A close friend is the 911 supervisor in my town and she said the best thing to do is dial 911 leave the phone off the hook and run out of the house without ever talking to the 911 operator. The operator would have sent an officer to her home to investigate the call.

this must be a very small town not to argue with you but as a 911 dispatcher on Long Island for a very long time this is crappy advice, the call MIGHT be answered depending time of day/night and would be considered a "dropped call" pushed down in the priority line When an officer got there eventually to check things out now more lost time to get fire/rescue activated to the scene Not saying someone should EVER stay in a burning house and call from it, quite the contrary but this is not a solution either BEST scenario get human & animal life out and get away from the scene Its stuff it can be replaced don't try to put it outwith a garden hose just get away from it then call from the nearest neighbor

 

[plove53]

I was "hitch" to my number... had it for over 30 years. So I got a magic jack port the number over (so I kept the number yay)... all for $20 a year... and they have a app to add it to my cellphone.

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

If it were up to me, ours would be long gone but my husband refuses to give it up.

He insists we need it because of his internet business yet the only calls we get on it are sales people.

 

[lauradis]

Ten years ago I was stuck in NYC during a massive city wide power failure that lasted for 2 days; all cell phones were completely useless. Whenever I think about getting rid of my landline, I remember the ginormous line of people that literally wrapped around the block, who were all waiting to use a pay phone.
I cannot stand paying my landline bill every month, but this experience left it's mark on me. There is something to be said for a phone with a wire, especially in a disaster.

We get great ice storms when the power is out for more then 8 hr we just plug our phones into the car, they charge them nicely while the power and phone lines are still down for up to 4 days.

 

[bonoriffic]

Just a note about calling 911 - even if you do not have an active phone line, as long as you have a phone jack that is wired to the telephone wires, you are supposed to be able to plug a phone in and be able to call 911!

This is not true. Without dial tone you can't dial 9-1-1.

 

[parkwoodtech]

We dumped our landline from TWC and I use an OBI 100 and google voice for free home phone service. We also have e911 capabilities. Our phone runs through our internet so if our internet goes out then we are out of luck. But our call quality is excellent and have all the traditional phone features.