Staying Landline Connected, Part II

This is the second installment of my three-part series on the reasons it is important keep your landline phone service. If you haven't had a chance to yet read part one, you can do so by clicking here.

This week I'll be focusing on reason two: 911 emergency services.

Reason Two: 911 Emergency Service Contrary to claims that 911 is well-supported through digital phone service, it is not always true. Normally, independent Internet calling services are not directly in sync with city or county 911 locator systems. This results in emergency operators being unable to see home addresses if users make an emergency call for assistance and are unable to talk or for some reason become disconnected. While many digital phone service providers originally chose not to offer any support for 911, it is beginning to change due to the FCC ruling in May 2005 to make it compulsory for all providers to support 911.

With wireless phones come another set of challenges for public safety and emergency response personnel, as well as wireless service providers. Because wireless phones are mobile, they are not associated with one fixed location or address. While the location of the cell site closest to the caller may provide a general indication of the caller's location, that information is not always specific enough for rescue personnel to deliver assistance to the caller in an efficient manner. Existing wireless location services may miss the location of a phone by up to 100 yards, a significant distance in times of emergency. HTC strongly recommends that families with young children, older adults and anyone with chronic health issues retain a reliable landline connection.

In addition to the issues mentioned above, wireless phone service is not a sound replacement for landline phone service. Essentially, wireless phones work through line-of-sight transmission and if there is something between the phone and the nearest cellular antenna or tower, calls may not be able to be transmitted. Severe weather, building materials and even heavy foliage are just a few of the things that can interfere with signal transmission and render wireless phones ineffective. It is also possible that during a wide-spread power outage, power in your home may be restored before the power to the nearest cellular tower is restored. Conversely, the tower may be put out of service and your home may remain unaffected.

Make sure to check back here next week to read the final entry of the three-part installment on the importance of landline phones.

Best,

Tom