Verizon workers can now be fired if they fix copper phone lines (cost, school)

[Packard fan]

The wireless home phone service, VoiceLink, is not a proper replacement for copper phone lines because it doesn’t work with security alarms, fax machines, medical devices such as pacemakers that require telephone monitoring, and other services, the union said.

Verizon workers can now be fired if they fix copper phone lines | Ars Technica

Despicable, just despicable there, Verizon.

I've got a cell phone and, I've got an old school wired land line, too.

[MPowering1]

An AT&T rep just told me last week that NO copper lines are being replaced by any of the providers. The cost is too high given the smaller number of people still on landline, particularly since landlines will go the way of the dinosaur over the next 20 - 30 years. I'm a baby boomer and still have a landline, but a couple of my friends have given up theirs.

[Toyman at Jewel Lake]

I'm older than dirt, and gave up my landline about 10 years ago. Too expensive, poor service and ATT pizzed me off too many times wiht billing issues.

[Pat Answers]

So do I understand this correctly: if a copper phone line becomes defective, does the phone company then put you onto a cell service? Or is this the same type home phone running instead of through wires through some wireless electronic thing? I plead ignorance on how this all works! Very interesting. What's going to happen to my fax machine?

[jamies]

I haven't had a landline since 1990. Actually I've never had one in my name. Had my parents, then used pay phones until bricks came out. Never went back.

[InformedConsent]

Problem, here. I have a land line because it's wired into my elevator as a safety requirement (yes, I have a small 3 person max. capacity elevator in my house). If the phone company won't fix the line, now what?

[Biker53]

Originally Posted by MPowering1

An AT&T rep just told me last week that NO copper lines are being replaced by any of the providers. The cost is too high given the smaller number of people still on landline, particularly since landlines will go the way of the dinosaur over the next 20 - 30 years. I'm a baby boomer and still have a landline, but a couple of my friends have given up theirs.

Great, and no doubt they won't ensure that all of their current land line customers have adequate cell coverage before they pull the plug. I can only get 1 or 2 bars at my house, and sometimes none. I live in a valley that's maybe 3/4's of a mile wide and am at the base of a mountain on one side of the valley. Not everyone lives in suburban/urban areas where cell coverage can be taken for granted. Sometimes it seems as if technology is pulling us backwards. My reality is that landlines work well and cell phones only work here and there.

[ottomobeale]

This will be great in hilly areas where you can go from 5 bars to no signal in 100 feet.

[1AngryTaxPayer]

I still have a landline because it's:

cheaper in the bundle
the number I use for all the riff raff that still demand a phone number


It gets like 30 calls a day and maybe 2 messages left so I think it's awesome.

[BentBow]

If you have cable tv, a land line is needed, to control the cable box converter.

The cable company will replace the copper wires.