Keeping landline vs cell phone only

[spidey07]

In a major emergency, a landline isn't going to help you either if all police/fire/ambulance services are flooded with calls so you're still fucked.

It's to keep in touch with my other buddies on supplies, etc. They also have hard lines. I'm telling you, I went through a huge, long power outage, and the hardline was invaluable to locate supplies (can't pump gas without power) and keeping in touch. Cell phones were worthless. It's all just part of being prepared.

 

[datalink7]

I've had only a cell phone for 11 years. Same number for 8 years. I don't remember ever being contacted by a telemarketer.

I guess over that time I've saved $3960 by not having a land line.

 

[Red Squirrel]

It's to keep in touch with my other buddies on supplies, etc. They also have hard lines. I'm telling you, I went through a huge, long power outage, and the hardline was invaluable to locate supplies (can't pump gas without power) and keeping in touch. Cell phones were worthless. It's all just part of being prepared.

Yep, and the CO's have the big ass redundant generators that are the size of a transport trailer, typically cell sites have a plug that a portable generator can be plugged into but no ATS generator. If there's a large scale black out chances are they wont have enough generators to cover all the cell sites. I work in a NOC and was told the COs are always the #1 priority (some only have a plug as well), so if I can't get a generator out everywhere, then drop cell sites before dropping COs. There are also only so many circuits going out to cell sites so there is a good chance of them being overloaded. Of course cell sites are still considered important so in most cases they stay up as generators can be rotated around while other stuff runs on batteries.

I imagine in a situation where all the phone cables have been destroyed (Ex: earthquake, tornado etc) then perhaps the cell sites would be made priority as it would be faster to restore that service than every single phone. Personally I like having both and that way I have redundancy.

Always have at least one working hard wired phone as well. it becomes invaluable in a situation like that. While those situations barely ever happen, it never hurts to be prepared.

 

[spidey07]

The COs/CBXs have strict laws on how long they have to stay up, how they are built etc.

That cell tower? Yeah, that runs through hardwired phone system. Guess which one gets priority?

What was the last thing to go during Katrina? Not the power, not cell service, not water.

That hardwire phone was the last thing to go some week later after the event. I'm not being kooky here, I've worked in the industry for 20 years. It was hurricane IKE that took out our power for weeks, large metropolitan area without power, by a hurricane in KY. I learned a lot during that and will NEVER give up my true hard line terminated into a branch switch.

 

[IronWing]

Land line only at home. Can't get a cell plan cheap enough to make it worth switching.

 

[DrPizza]

The COs/CBXs have strict laws on how long they have to stay up, how they are built etc.

That cell tower? Yeah, that runs through hardwired phone system. Guess which one gets priority?

What was the last thing to go during Katrina? Not the power, not cell service, not water.

That hardwire phone was the last thing to go some week later after the event. I'm not being kooky here, I've worked in the industry for 20 years. It was hurricane IKE that took out our power for weeks, large metropolitan area without power, by a hurricane in KY. I learned a lot during that and will NEVER give up my true hard line terminated into a branch switch.

You can store a shitload more gas than you'd need for less than what you're paying for a hardline.

 

[spidey07]

You can store a shitload more gas than you'd need for less than what you're paying for a hardline.

Like I care about the cost.

Redundancy and back up plans are good.

 

[djnsmith7]

I cancelled my landline 3 years ago & haven't looked back. I don't need to be "bundled".

 

[JEDI]

i called them. they're giving me $5/month off for a yr thus my landline is $10/month

 

[AdamK47]

My house hasn't had an active land line since 2006. Just recently had the line disconnected completely from the pole when fiber optics was installed.

 

[DrPizza]

Like I care about the cost.

Redundancy and back up plans are good.

Brilliant idea! You should build an addition on the house so you can have a live-in paramedic in case things go bad.