Landlines are about to go extinct. There’s no hiding this fact. The latest research by Statista shows only 39.7% of the American households are still holding on to a working landline phone, in contrast to 59.2% of cell phone users. What is the reason behind this downfall? Some say that it’s the movement of cord-cutting, which has inspired hundreds of people to sever their wired phone connections. Whereas, others point towards the invention of slim, sleek, and portable smartphones, which have rendered the existence of a centralized landline in a home completely useless.
Though these arguments may sound convincing from a futuristic viewpoint, you need to ask yourself this: Are you really ready to let go of something that has provided value for 143 years and continues to do so? If your answer is no –congratulations, you’ve made a smart choice. If your answer is yes, then perhaps this post will help you change your mind and see the potential benefits of hanging on to a landline. Keep reading to find out.
1. A Landline Provides an Exceptional Calling Quality
Nothing’s worse than the fear of having your call dropped right in the middle of an important conversation due to low signal coverage. This happens much more often with a cellphone, which works based on wireless technology. In areas with lots of interference, it gets almost impossible to keep a smartphone call going on for longer than a few seconds.
Landlines, on the other hand, enjoy the support of traditionally strong copper lines that transmit audio data in crystal-clear quality, besides providing a 100% signal reception regardless of time or place. So, if you want to talk for hours on end without losing connectivity, then get a landline for your home or office.
2. A Landline is Extremely Affordable
Companies release new and improved smartphones each year, compelling consumers to chuck their old devices and get on board with the trending flagship phones, which cost $800, to say the least. Such a practice creates a huge hole in your budget. But, with a landline, you don’t have to worry about facing a cash crunch.
A home phone subscription costs only $3 - $10 per month, especially if you have a service like Spectrum voice in your area. Not only does Voice carry your calls digitally, but it also provides unlimited talk-time, flexible international minutes, and loads of features at the most convenient rate.
3. A Landline Gives a Quicker Emergency Support
Bad times can befall anyone. It’s a smart move to be prepared beforehand, so you can handle the emergency in the best way possible. This is where landlines come in. Your home phone can prove to be a great life-saving tool.
Suppose someone in your family faints or suffers from a stroke all of a sudden and you don’t have a vehicle to get them to the hospital in time. What would be your move? Call 911, right? Now, if you make the call from your landline, the authorities will get a chance to tag your exact location and reach your home faster with medical aid. Most of the home phones these days consist of a built-in E911 feature with a smart geo-location technology, providing faster assistance during emergencies.
4. A Landline Maintains a High-Security Factor
With the rise of 5G and AI applications, billions of smartphones are at the risk of being hacked by cybercriminals unlike ever before. Though it may be easy for a hacker to slip into a cell phone, breaking into a landline is a whole other game. It is a hard nut to crack and being so, it is relatively safer.
Similarly, a landline gives you a sturdier layer of protection by integrating smartly with your home security devices. For instance, you can link your outdoor camera or motion sensor with your landline, and in case of a home intrusion event, an automatic SOS will be sent from the phone directly to the authorities concerned, narrowing the chances of damage.
5. A Landline Comes with a Backup Power
Given the weather abnormalities caused by climate change, your home might come under the spell of a light storm or a flash hurricane. In such a situation, when all possible means of reaching out are cut down and the power goes out, a landline comes super-handy. For instance, Spectrum home phone service provides a state-of-the-art battery backup, which runs even during an outage and enables you to make crystal-clear emergency calls through a cloud of interference from the storm. You can also use this battery to power your modem and stay updated about the news on the internet.
6. A Landline Cannot be Easily Misplaced
A smartphone, no matter how advanced, is still a small and sleek device that can be easily misplaced anywhere and at any time. Imagine getting late for your class in the morning, and still running around your house playing hide and seek with your smartphone. Or, boarding a bus for home and halfway through the ride, realizing that you’ve left your phone at the bus stop. The list of these relatable instances goes on. However, the point is that even though a smartphone may be more likely to be mislaid, a landline has zero chances of misplacement. It’s bright, it’s shiny and wired to one spot, so you cannot lose it.
7. A Landline has a Greater Durability
There is no doubt about the fact that a landline wins against a smartphone when it comes to physical durability and strength. You might’ve heard of people going viral on the web for dropping their expensive smartphones (usually iPhone or Samsung sets) only a few moments after purchasing them. The thing is that the latest mobile varieties are designed to be sensitive and delicate. Their fragility factors into their overall appeal, but may not be worth hundreds of dollars you spend on them. This isn’t the case with a landline, which is tough, withstands pressures and blows of time, doesn’t break that easily, and saves you money aplenty.
8. A Landline Connects with the Internet & TV
Home phone providers like Charter Spectrum™ give you a chance to experience the landline service in conjunction with the internet and the TV. They offer you a Voice Online Manager, through which you can control all the traditional landline features remotely, such as checking voicemails on the web, etc. Similarly, you can connect your landline to your television set, and see the Caller ID appear on the TV screen whenever someone from your contact list rings you.
9. A Landline is Elder-Friendly
According to a National Health Interview Survey, almost 60% of the people with ages 45 years and above prefer a landline to a smartphone in the U.S. Why? Because of its incredibly simple interface, and functionality that has been around for 143 years. Elders and senior-folk specifically find a telephone with buttons and a dedicated wired/cordless receiver easier to handle. Smartphones have an advanced and complex UX, which might lead to difficulty in comprehension. That is why keeping a landline in your home will help your grandparents stay connected to the world.
10. A Landline has Sentimental Value
Landlines have been around for years, and millennials have grown up around them. When you used to call another household back in the 1990s from your phone, you never knew who’d pick up and this excitement was enough to keep you on your toes. Landlines improved your conversation skills and taught you how to be patient. Then, how can you let go of something that has been so transformational in your journey? A landline has sentimental value, and that is why it should be left to remain in its traditional spot in a house.
The Bottom Line is…
There are many smart reasons to hold on to a landline phone even in this age of progressive cutting-the-cord movement and the promising smartphone technology.
