The necessity of keeping a landline phone at home has changed in recent years as technology has evolved, giving consumers more options.
With more people buying cell phones and the cost of cell phone usage plans continuing to decrease, fewer people now continue to pay for a landline in their home. In the U.S., just over a third of households still use a landline, according to data maintained by telecommunication companies.
It is true that cell phones can help reduce the cost of talking to friends and relatives by telephone. They also are convenient, offering access to the internet, social media, text messaging and to other conveniences. Most cell phone carriers now offer affordable plans to cover the cost of cell phone calls and internet use on phones. But despite these trends, there are still advantages to using telecommunication plans to reduce the expense of calls made across the globe.
For example, some companies offer service plans that allow users to call Australia free. Not all cell phone companies provide access to international calls in the same way they provide inexpensive domestic calls. If you are one of those households that frequently make international calls, you will want to consider a service plan that helps cover these expenses without costly add-ons to your plan.
Another reason you may want to consider maintaining a landline phone in your home is if you live in an area that does not offer strong cell phone coverage. In more remote areas, cell phone coverage can be unreliable and spotty. In some cases, that depends on the number of cell towers in an area. If they are overloaded with users, they may not be able to provide strong signals. A landline in your home can ensure that you have easy and convenient access to making telephone calls, particularly in an emergency. Your landline can serve as an inexpensive backup to otherwise unreliable cell phone service.
Landlines are also typically favored by older adults who still have not become accustomed to cell phone technology or who do not trust their reliability. There are instances when landlines are the only communication devices that will work in an emergency, when all internet service and electricity is knocked offline in a storm, for example.
Without electricity, cell phone batteries cannot recharge after a major event, like a hurricane or an earthquake that can disrupt service. The landline telephone system survives these events, using its ability to provide telecommunication services by creating and interpreting sound waves over an electrical circuit. This basic technology, perfected by Alexander Graham Bell, is still the most reliable way to communicate with outsiders.
Landlines also continue to remain popular in business settings. Businesses both big and small have emerged as the primary market for these landline telephones because they continue to be the most cost-effective and efficient means of communication for both workers and customers to interact with a business.
