[Ecuadog]

Here, my copper-wire landline from CenturyLink costs about $38.50 per month.

After tropical storm Sandy on Long Island, NY, my landline was the only thing working. No electricity. No VOIP. No cell towers.

I try to have fun with the telemarketers.

[Mikey Osmond]

I haven't used a landline in quite a few yrs now.

[Two Bills]

Just pick up the landline receiver and hear the dial tone, lets you know you are not alone in the world.
Hardly use it these days, but like an old pair of slippers, comforting to have around!

[Stu from NYC]

When we moved here earlier this year we planned to do away with landlne but got a bundling deal with xfinity that landline was very cheap so we did it.

Do use it very infrequently and when talking to our kids now use cell making 3 way call.

[ithos]

It does seem that that our analog copper landlines are at risk.

Save Landlines! – Defending Our Analog Copper Landline Network

Comcast offers VOIP. Not traditional phone service.

In a hurricane where power and cell phones go out, or when your internet service drops out(which still happens occasionally) , VOIP doesn't work.

Why is your landline phone dead?

They also favor VoIP for regulatory reasons. In 2012, the state lost authority over VoIP, so the California Public Regulatory Commission can’t require backup power. Companies only offer it voluntarily. And there’s no obligation to guarantee universal access and fair prices to consumers, according to the nonprofits Electronic Frontier Foundation and The Utility Reform Network.

[JoelJohnson]

Dropped our land line 30 years ago. If someone wants me they call my cell, if they want my wife they call hers.

[Cheapbas]

It’s just not a home without a home phone

[GreySkies]

When my parents were retired and into their later years (80+) I made sure they had a POTS line just for the accuracy of 911 calls and available service even in a power outage. For that reason alone I feel the cost was justified, I would probably want it myself in about 20 years if they are still available.

[matandch]

I use Ooma VOIP for landline service. Backfed through home jack system to make multiple phone use possible. Downside, as mentioned before by others, when power/internet fails so goes phones. I do have a cell phone which can serve as a backup in the event of power/internet failure. Cost for Ooma -$5/mo.

[Malsua]

The problem with POTS these days is that it largely no longer exists at least as it was 50 years ago.

Yes, there is a copper wire coming to your house. That wire connects to your house is dumped onto a fiber trunk at some point(often before it gets to the central office) and it's no longer analog. It no longer has the reliance and fault tolerance that the POTS of the cold war era had.

When the backup generators and batteries of the cell towers go down in a power outage, chances are good that your POTS will go too. In fact, they may shut down the POTS first to allow a longer run time of the cell service.

[guppyvii]

I haven’t had a landline since 2007. Google and Apple have rolled out a service that will give your location if you call 911. If you set up your emergency contacts it will also notify them that your phone has requested emergency assistance and share your location for a given time. See first link below. Later versions of the Apple Watch will call 911 if your heart stops for a certain time or it senses a hard impact like a fall or car accident. It asks you first, if no response it calls for you. Pros and Cons to that, but we don’t want to bogart the original post. Keep your landline, mine only received spam calls too. Just know there is technology out there that will still you let you make an emergency call on a smart device.
Use Emergency SOS on your Apple Watch - Apple Support
Use fall detection with Apple Watch - Apple Support

[Morgkell]

We solved the problem of a landline by using Magic Jack. It is only $29/year and we give it to those who we don’t want to hear from by phone so we know we don’t need to answer them. It just plugs into our regular phone jacks.

[kendi]

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby

Another major advantage of POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service, yes it's an actual term): when the electricity goes out, the phone still works, and you don't have to worry about your cell phone battery going dead (since, if there's no electricity, you aren't charging your cellphone either).

Yes! This is the main reason we kept our landline up North. Then we switched to fiber optics and were sorry we did. Goes out with the electricity. Ugh! 😫 Had no idea.

[Madelaine Amee]

No will not give up my landline. I have a cell phone, but I still do all my business on the landline. The cell is an emergency phone, only close friends and family members have the number. It works for me.

[Freehiker]

Haven’t had a land line since the late 90’s.