Tag Archives: landline

Home Phone

Verizon Spends Just $3.50 Annually to Uphold Landlines

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The Communications Workers of America (CWA) stated that it will transform letters to regulators present in New York, Maryland, Virginia, New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania and Washington DC. The union is trying its level best to pressure Verizon while it is busy negotiating the current contract. According to Verizon’s statement, $200 million have already been spent on the copper network since 2008.

CWA also said, “$200 million represents 0.39 percent of the $50.7 billion Verizon spent on its wireline network from 2008 to 2014.”

For building the fiber network, $50.7 billion has been spent on the project that the union supports. Despite a huge number of people using cellphones, Verizon still has more than 8 million subscribers on its landline. The union added, “where Verizon has refused to deploy its all-fiber FiOS network, Verizon has the statutory obligation to maintain its copper plant to provide safe, reliable service.”

The $200 million comes to $28.6 million annually which is approximately $3.50 on each landline for poles, pedestals, batteries, terminals, cables, etc. Other elements include maintenance, service, and repair. Verizon’s local phone service is not up to the mark. The landline users are paying $300 to $370 every year for basic voice services and $400 for DSL internet, “Verizon spends less than one percent of the rate it charges for basic voice service and less than half a percent of the rate it charges for a voice/DSL bundled service on the upkeep of its copper network,” the union said.

Verizon previously denied the union claims regarding network maintenance as “meaningless rhetoric and hyperbole” which is typical during this process. CWA leadership’s claims are absurd and nothing more than a tired tactic from the union playbook to avoid serious negotiations on a fair contract for their members,” Verizon said. “Verizon’s commitment to investing heavily in its wireline network is well-documented and unquestioned. No company has invested more in broadband; last year alone we invested almost $6 billion in our wireline networks.”

Gradually, Verizon is upgrading its customers by offering attractive plans. Though a New York City official audit claims that Verizon failed to deliver on its commitment. Affordable telephone services are being afforded to customers but the customers aren’t satisfied with the service being offered. It has previously promised to offer FIOS network to all the customers and in Pennsylvania it committed to introducing fiber internet or comparable technology but sadly, millions of homes are suffering from slower DSL instead.

Landline Gadget

This Landline Gadget Will Surely Outdo Your Smartphone

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Most of you might feel that you don’t need a landline anymore and most Americans don’t even have one. But along with the former ringer went a direct way to communicate, one that did not require basic knowledge of technology or parental controls. The latest startup known as Insensi is trying to bring back that ease of use with a device that comprises both the simplicity of our cherished landline and incorporates the beauty of a modern-day touchscreen.

Known as Ily, the device is becoming one of the inquisitively growing gadgets seeking to become a family’s communication hub. A similar device, Bloom was also recently launched and just like Ily, its founder wants to make it the ideal way for a family to connect. Though Bloom is a bit more involved and includes a wrist-worn device that automatically shares pictures, Ily has a functionality where everything either appears on the device or over a mobile app. Traditional phone calls can be used over Ily, but it also allows video chats, messages and sends finger draws doodles. Like the old landline, it is plugged into one place and due to this reason, neither would it get lost nor require charging.

Kids under the age of 12 years don’t have an agency over their parent’s device as those phone numbers don’t belong to them. So parents are unwilling to hand over their cell phones to their kids. Ily works either by connecting to Wi-Fi or to traditional phone jacks. Connecting with any of the family members is as easy as tapping their avatar on the touchscreen. A menu of options is displayed that further includes making a phone call, sending text, placing a video call or transmitting a drawing.

Ily is also available for iOS and Android so if the parent is travelling somewhere, their child can call easily from the home portal. Even though we seem to be more inclined towards smartphones nowadays, these devices are very useful and can perform multiple tasks. They have actually dug deep a human desire to build devices that have more than just singular functions.

homephones

The Relevance of Home phones in an Ever-Changing Digital World

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Nowadays, you can’t go anywhere without spotting people using their cellphones. Cellphone users are so engrossed in their device that they don’t pay attention to whatever else going on in their surroundings. Of course, wireless phones offer convenience and help you talk from virtually any place because of which they are at the forefront of the telecom world but landlines still play a crucial role. The younger generation might not have even seen landlines as they woke up to a world of cell phones and hence indulged with social media, mobile apps, and so forth.

There is a preconceived notion that landlines can’t provide all the facilities a mobile phone does. This is not the case; security systems require landlines as they are comparatively difficult to hack. No connectivity due to weak signal strength is also a recurring problem with cell phones which is not the case with home phones making it still popular in offices and rural areas. The best feature of landlines is that they will never be dead even during a power cut. Cellphone call quality, on the other hand, varies with each carrier and you need to pay the price for mobility. But a crystal clear conversation takes place over a landline without the call reception or quality getting lost. If you have children at home, you inevitably need a landline as it is most reliable to 911. Cell phones use GPS-based methods to report incidents but only when you are on the road. Unfortunately, if you are on a higher floor of a building, it won’t indicate your location on its own. On the contrary, a home phone is connected to your address that includes your apartment number, so the 911 operator knows particularly where you are which makes tracing easy.

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Getting a landline connection is easier and paying bills is not a problem. Moreover, no credit check, deposits or id are required. You just need to check the plans and pricing regarding your state, order online, fill a simple form and there you go. Not only that, you may also opt for lifeline government assistance plans and cell phone plans that include 250 free any time minutes. With landlines, you can enjoy unlimited local calling without worrying about minutes and extra charges. Once you subscribe to a landline, your number gets listed in the local phonebook, so anyone who needs you in an emergency may look up the directory. If you’re planning to opt for a landline, visit www.americandialtone.com that provides cheap home phone service with a long list of various other plans. Although cell phones are extensively being used throughout the world, the need for landlines will always remain.

AT&T

AT&T Sees Increase in Landline VoIP

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Recently procured data has enabled AT&T to infer that the number of customers has continued to increase for VoIP-based voice service as compared to wireline customers. In the first quarter itself, there has been a growth in the form of 5 million new subscribers for U-verse voice service along with an increase in broadband and video subscribers.

The growth in the number of new IP-based U-verse broadband customers was tremendous. Besides seeing a gain in new customers, AT&T has converted around 80 percent of it’s DSL subscribers to IP-based U-verse broadband where it’s available using it’s 1 Gbps fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) services.

A rising number of AT&T customers are buying a great deal of dual play bundles that include broadband and VoIP service. In an interview, the AT&T vice president of voice and data products said that many of their customers purchase both products but some of them are moving from IP to the DSL network.

E-911, call forwarding, and call blocking are the features introduced by AT&T that differentiate it from other VoIP players such like Skype and Vonage. Moreover, customers can experience a TDM-based equivalent service because the internet network is managed.

Currently, AT&T is offering three U-verse Voice packages. The first is the U-verse Voice International, with the help of which a user can make limitless calling in the U.S., its territories, and Canada, and get discount on calls to other countries. The second is the AT&T U-verse Voice Unlimited with the help of which a person can make limitless calls within the U.S. and Canada, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Guam and the Northern Marianas. The last is the AT&T U-verse Voice 200 with the help of which a person can make limitless calls to other U-verse Voice customers and avail 200 minutes of anytime calling to anybody in the U.S., the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, Puerto Rico and the Northern Marianas.

The Vice President also added in his statement that the rising telecommuting trend is also causing users to rethink using just a cell phone. Call quality through mobile handsets also depends on the proximity to the nearest cell tower, which is another factor driving users to opt for this service.

In the end, he added that voice quality of wireless carriers is not good enough to support conference calls. However, this can be assured in case of landline phones with the help of their services.

Home Phone

Think Twice Before Cutting Your Landline Cord

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What is the thing most important to people next to food and water today? It’s a Smartphone! Smartphones have vastly speeded up communication and the transfer of information. As Smartphones are increasingly dominating the world of communication, it’s still hard to beat the safety and reliability of landline phones. People throughout the world have started replacing their landline phones with Smartphones. While having a cell phone has become a standard for millions of people, we should not forget the importance of the humble landline phones, which provide a ubiquitous form of communication. So let’s go over some of the obvious benefits of landline phones in times when everything is going wireless.
Clear and easy communication
When it comes to effective communication, landline phones are still considered a better option. They never make us worry about weak signals or dropped calls. They are valuable in an emergency and are the front-runners of reliable telecommunication. Currently, many top companies are using landline phones for performing their business operations, which prove to be most reliable.
Greater Reliability
Landline phones are safe to use, and are never plagued by dropping calls and fuzzy reception. No worries about whether you have enough minutes left for the month, or what to do when the battery exhausts.
Home security systems
A landline phone offers a higher degree of security. Home-security systems generally require a landline phone to monitor fire and burglar-alarm sensors. Buy as many smartphones as you wish but remember one thing, a landline phone will always remain your safest bet!

Greater Comfort
For your kids or parents, landline phones provide a great comfort. Due to their larger size, they allow users to more easily cradle their phone between head and shoulder.
Expert Choice
Finding a reliable home phone provider is not an easy task. The problem that most of the people face with home phone providers is that they charge various hidden costs. You need a provider who can provide home phone service at nominal cost. Expert Phone is a great choice if you’re looking for inexpensive local home phone service in Alabama or in other states of the USA. They can connect you with reliable home phone service providers at the best prices.

 

 

 

 

Home Phone, Landline Services

Are We Done with Landlines, Yet?

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Home Phone

We live in a modern age surrounded with a tech-savvy world and therefore, must abide by the changing trends around. But as we do change, we must spare a deeper look at the older tools to decide if they need to be really replaced or simply an addition of the new ones to the lot is just manageable. One such dilemma that concerns most households today is choosing between a cellphone and a landline. Let us compare to see if the former can, indeed, replace the latter?

Internet Speed

No matter how quick and efficient the technology has become, people tend to have different standards for Internet performance for home and elsewhere. While at a WiFi spot or on the road, people tend to be tolerant of jerky connection and low bandwidth because cell data technology is never that great. Yet, it’s a different story when people are at home as they expect their home networks to be great each time they use it.

Voice quality

The quality of a conversation is a whole lot better on a landline than on a cell phone. In fact, cellphone calling and networks are less than perfect. You can talk to a friend just fine from your cellphone, but data transmission gets interrupted constantly.

International Calling

The calling plans for landlines are usually cheaper than what you can find for a cell phone. Particularly, if you are making international calls, landlines can turn out much cheaper.

Satellite Services

If you’re using a satellite TV provider, they often end up charging you higher for the same services if you do not have a homephone. So, forgoing the landline, in a way, costs you more than what you pay otherwise.

Ease of Access

A homephone does not require charging. When it rings, you always know where it is. You do not have to turn the place upside down to track down where you put it when you dropped the groceries on the counter, or went to the bathroom.

911 Tracking

There is a huge difference in how 911 calls are handled through a landline versus the cellphone.  A landline call goes straight to the call center who immediately know where you are and soon, help is on its way within seconds. However, calling with a cell phone gets a cumbersome. As you have to waste time spelling out your complete address. If you are in a high-density area or apartment complex, they have no way to pinpoint your location with a cell phone.

All of us feel the need to take some cost-cutting initiatives to curb our expenses, chucking what’s no longer in use or helpful. However, choosing the landline for it is not a wise move yet because it has some superb irreplaceable features that we cannot afford to function without.

Home Phone

Post DirecTV Acquisition, AT&T Continues Hunt for More

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Post DirecTV

Even after the acquisition of DirecTV as well as its 18 million subscribers in Latin America, the hunt by AT&T Inc. (T) continues as it eyes more acquisitions in the region. The primary base for this rigorous quest by AT&T springs from the lucrative opportunities in the region because it is growing 10 times faster than the U.S. The $48.5 billion takeover of DirecTV by AT&T will hand over numerous satellite-TV subscribers to the American multinational telecommunications corporation, most of which are spread across Latin America, particularly in Mexico and Brazil. The deal with DirecTV will be the first of AT&T’s attempts to extend its reach outside the U.S. in more than 10 years. Such an expansion by the company is crucial to driving growth as the wireless industry becomes more saturated in the domestic sector.

The key to competing in the new markets lies in providing customers not only with satellite TV, but also mobile phone service and broadband access in countries like Mexico. These are places where less than half of the homes in the region pay for TV or Internet. In this regard, Jonathan Chaplin, an analyst with New Street Research commented that AT&T needs to acquire more assets south of the border if it is targeting growth outside the U.S. The move by the U.S. telephone giant is geared by the fact that DirecTV has a great competitive product in Latin America, but it will also need broadband capabilities. The company has been testing wireless Internet access where it may make more sense to buy large landline networks that already have broadband subscribers.

Continuing with options in the U.S. that are limited to expanding its phone and TV services, AT&T is still trying its hand at making new offerings such as home security and selling wireless service to connect cars to the Internet. However, these opportunities are still in the early stages.

Home Phone

Landlines vs. Cellphones: To have or not to have?

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We are a nation today that functions efficiently because of being ‘connected’ at all times. Aside from the more important study and work related calls, you are available when even your grandmother is texting. No matter what the mode of communication, people nowadays seem to be available around the clock! But with consumers skeptical about spending money on anything more the basic requirements, we tend to question on the need to possess multiple modes of communication. In such times, we ask ourselves: do we really need a landline phone while already possessing a cellphone?

Here are three reasons against pulling the plug:

  1. 911 location tracking. If a call is made from a residential phone, the dispatch centers can find the exact address where landline calls originated. With wireless phones, emergency responders can only figure out an approximate latitude and longitude of those phones. The problem seems small on the face value but is actually not. In emergencies, for instance, when someone needs assistance because they are having a heart attack in their apartment, even if the dispatch center nails their cellphone’s location, it won’t make out which floor the patient was calling from.
  1. More reliability. Living in this age, we all know the feeling of having an important call dropped, mid-sentence, due to a poor cellphone signal. Home phones do not leave you in the lurch.
  1. No running out of charge. You know your mobile handset needs charging but you miss doing the task and the result is your device ditches you right when you need it the most. The reason is lack of attention in our hectic schedules. No matter how dear we hold our cellphones in our bags, pockets, and purses, the fact remains that they can’t stay there forever. We claim these phones to be portable but they become as stationary as a landline when plugged in for charging and even worse, they become as useless as a brick when they run out of battery power!

Yet, we hesitate to say chuck one of the devices entirely. Thanks to the recent convergence of technology between landlines and cellphones, phones have gone a technological step higher with the ‘Connect to Cell’ technology. For anyone who wants the best of both worlds, this is one answer.

So, if you’re seriously entertaining the idea of going solely mobile, remember that it may not be time to cut the land-line cord just yet.

Home Phone

Landlines Still Do What Cell Phones Can’t

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A lot of discussion about the importance of reliable, affordable phone service has been doing the rounds. Following this, some people are attempting to get the New Jersey lawmakers to overlook the facts about the inadequacies of fixed wireless service for which many New Jersey consumers are being coerced.

It is true that Verizon is required by state law to make the basic, affordable, and reliable service available. Verizon’s landline phone service has been serving that purpose for years now, and has therefore become a trusted source for the New Jerseyans, old and young alike.

We know for a fact that thousands of older New Jersey residents particularly rely on their landline for a number of reasons, including health and safety. Many feel the dependence on medical monitoring systems that will not work without a reliable, conventional landline. Many have home security systems, which work depending on that same landline. Most important of all is the fact that landline phones provide relentless support during tough times like the Superstorm Sandy. At such a time, there surfaces only one reliable connection to the outside world, one lone ray of hope, when power goes out and cell towers turn down.

Verizon should have the right to market VoiceLink as an optional service people who are interested. But yes, it should only remain like an optional service and not a mandate.

Community progress should be given the required platform and space to grow. And it is to be appreciated as well as understood that someday, a technology will be introduced that will be more cost-effective, more affordable for consumers, and will represent a step forward in innovation and reliability.

Until then, reliable, affordable phone service remains a necessity for many New Jersey consumers. To allow Verizon to step away from its service obligation could be a step toward isolation, and away from help, for those who depend on their phone service the most.