Landline phone

Remember pay phones? Those telltale rectangular booths
situated at every other street corner for your calling
convenience? Well, it looks like Superman will have to find
a new place to change, because they're quickly becoming
a thing of the past (except in places like airports). If
current trends continue, landline phones may soon join pay
phones in the technology graveyard.

When was the last time you memorized someone's home number?
It's probably been a while, as more people are beginning to
make the majority of their calls on cell phones. In the U.S.
and Europe, roughly 75 percent of the respective populations
are wireless subscribers [source: Mobile Internet, Wireless
Industry News]. Some European countries even expect to exceed
100 percent wireless penetration soon, due to people
purchasing multiple devices.

As of late 2007, 16 percent of U.S. households had no
landline whatsoever, compared to just 5 percent in 2004. If
that rapid trend of ditching landlines continues, half of the
U.S. could be without one in about 10 years.

Among the people who have landlines in the U.S., 13 percent
nevertheless rely on their cell phones for the majority of
their calls. Across the country, people are hanging up their
home phones:

* In New York state, the number of landline subscribers
has fallen by 55 percent since the year 2000.
* New Jersey landline subscribers have decreased by 50
percent.
* Similar trends exist Down Under, where industry
analysts expect 1.4 million Aussies to cancel their landlines
by the end of 2008. [source: Associated Press, Cauley,
Woolrich].

Even businesses are ditching their wires for more economical
options, like WiFi and VoIP (voice over Internet protocol).
Ford's Detroit headquarters, for example, recently purchased
8,000 wireless phones for the staff and ripped up its
landlines. Eighty-five percent of the company's business is
now conducted wirelessly [source: Foster]. It's not just
major players like Ford who are embracing the new
technologies, either. In New Jersey, sanitation distributor
Laymen Global also has abandoned its landlines, except for
a few it's keeping for emergencies.

People who have made the switch cite several benefits.
Wireless communication saves money on local and long-distance
phone charges, frees people up from their desks and prevents
having to lay new cables. Laymen Global, the New Jersey
company, saved $4,600 on its phone bill by forgoing landlines.

Yet other people aren't convinced that landlines have
outstayed their welcome.

Ditching Your Landline Phone Service: Advantages and
Disadvantages

While VoIP, cell phones and other wireless communication
methods can save money, landline stalwarts don't believe
a switch is warranted. They argue that the cost of
replacement technology can easily eclipse the savings
recouped by not installing cable. In addition, local- and
long-distance phone charges may be cheaper, but that's not
always the case. Making VoIP calls from overseas, for
instance, can result in hefty charges.

Security is another factor for people to consider before
letting go of their landlines. It's much easier for hackers
to gain access to conversations on a cell phone or through
VoIP than it is on a traditional phone line. Some people on
the front lines of communications technology think that
security concerns could prevent many companies from turning
entirely away from landlines.

Interference may also pose a problem, depending on the
quality of the landline's replacement. While the quality of
WiFi and VoIP has improved significantly since the two
technologies first came out, they're not 100 percent reliable.
Some people claim crystal clear reception and say they can't
differentiate between wireless and landline calls, but unless
you carry around a portable cell tower, you probably still
encounter dead zones every now and then.

A final issue that may prevent the landline's demise is
simply nostalgia. Employers who do away with traditional
phones often regret it when they see their workers straying
farther and farther from their desks. The convenience of
wireless communication can just as easily be a distraction,
with salespeople chatting on the phone instead of focusing on
their next sale. If landlines disappear, the days of sitting
at your desk to complete the day's work may disappear, too.

If you can push those issues aside, the attractions of
ditching landlines are hard to ignore: no more costly
telephone switching stations, no more wires and fiber-optic
cables stretching for miles and no more unsightly telephone
poles (although you'd still have cell phone towers).

If you still find yourself having separation anxiety over the
possible disappearance of landline telephones, though, you're
not alone. Many people are fearful of what their
disappearance might mean.