AT&T wants out of landline business

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Lighthouse77

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AT&T, the oldest US telephone company, made the request in a filing last week with the Federal Communications Commission in which it also asked the FCC to set a "firm deadline" for phasing out wireline service.

"The business model for legacy phone services is in a death spiral," AT&T said. "With an outdated product, falling revenues, and rising costs, the plain-old telephone service (POTS) business is unsustainable for the long run."...(more)
AT&T wants out of landline business
 
I can't tell you how frightening this is to me!!!

I detest cell phones!!! Yes, I have one. 95% of its usage is for texting, and only the remaining 5% is for actual phone calls. When I want to talk, I use my Landline. It doesn't drop calls, it's always connected, and I can actually hear people on it!!! In cell phones they always seem thirty miles from the phone!

My cell phone makes calls, sends/receives texts, and I suppose it connects to the Internet as well, although I've never tried it. My plan costs less than $15.00/month. My phone does not take pictures, take video, have a can opener, make frozen daiquiris, or fold laundry. It's just a cell phone. If I wanted anything more than that I'd get a Swiss army knife! :laugh2:
 
PatsCats said:
I can't tell you how frightening this is to me!!!

I detest cell phones!!! Yes, I have one. 95% of its usage is for texting, and only the remaining 5% is for actual phone calls. When I want to talk, I use my Landline. It doesn't drop calls, it's always connected, and I can actually hear people on it!!! In cell phones they always seem thirty miles from the phone!

My cell phone makes calls, sends/receives texts, and I suppose it connects to the Internet as well, although I've never tried it. My plan costs less than $15.00/month. My phone does not take pictures, take video, have a can opener, make frozen daiquiris, or fold laundry. It's just a cell phone. If I wanted anything more than that I'd get a Swiss army knife! :laugh2:
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Hi ,, I forgot, are you just hard of hearing? A landline isn't much use to a lot of us here. I have not had one since my children left home.

Smartphones are a necessity, like life blood to a lot of deaf people. They keep me and my husband accessible to our families, all of whom know how to use them to advantage.

With my BB I can instantly see the cute thing my granddaughter did, check my kids plans on Facebook.

I am unable to talk on a phone.
 
landlines and TTY are history - hello 2010 :laugh2:
 
Im not surprised that it is going to happen and I already predicted that 5 years ago. Its just like Kodak going though same thing, no more film based photography, now it is digital technology. Simply put, the older technologies are now more expensive than newer technologies. So, this is good example, it cost over 15 dollars for 36 exposure Extachrome film which includes film itself and development and does not guarantee perfect photos, while with Digital camera, 2GB secured Digial media cost 10 dollars and can hold over 1,000 exposure and you choose to keep it or delete it without any additional cost, and print out the ones you like for less than 35 cents so multiply that with 36 would cost cute 12 dollars with guarantee perfect photo.

There is more advantage with current technology over landline telephone. You actually can use regular telephone over Internet! That is because now all landline telephone connections uses Internet.
 
diehardbiker said:
Im not surprised that it is going to happen and I already predicted that 5 years ago. Its just like Kodak going though same thing, no more film based photography, now it is digital technology. Simply put, the older technologies are now more expensive than newer technologies. So, this is good example, it cost over 15 dollars for 36 exposure Extachrome film which includes film itself and development and does not guarantee perfect photos, while with Digital camera, 2GB secured Digial media cost 10 dollars and can hold over 1,000 exposure and you choose to keep it or delete it without any additional cost, and print out the ones you like for less than 35 cents so multiply that with 36 would cost cute 12 dollars with guarantee perfect photo.

There is more advantage with current technology over landline telephone. You actually can use regular telephone over Internet! That is because now all landline telephone connections uses Internet.
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Also you can switch to the normal billing of the landline to the credits of a skype call ;)

What's to the difference in ditigal technology, anyone?

old technogies gotta go, that's the way it is.
 
Of course, the history has repeat. Back in 1990, alot people got upset on switching from horse pulling buggy to autmobiles. Now would you want to stick with Buggy and deal with horses as regular? I am sure majority of you don't want to, why bother build more buggy? Same thing with Telephone, why bother continue maintain and expanding telephone lines where there is Internet lines available and can run as telephone lines?

You may not realize how many technologies that was available and no longer available today, that is the reality, like it or not move on anyway!


JClarke said:
Also you can switch to the normal billing of the landline to the credits of a skype call ;)

What's to the difference in ditigal technology, anyone?

old technogies gotta go, that's the way it is.
Click to expand...
 
I found that even some older generation are more accepting to cellphone (they have one themselves)

Now, there are people who are afraid that cellphone wireless and digital signals can cause cancer or tumors. I've heard people think it would disrupt birds like submarine does to dolphins and whales. don't know if it true but I can imagine people arguing over that.

I'm glad the horse and buggy are gone. Why torture the poor horses?
 
Yeah, my parents were one of them, finally love cell phonel. They both told me that they realized that landland is really worthless because both of them realize the benefit of cell phone. SO that they can visit me up in New York, or visit my sister on other side of state, yet able to receive calls from anyone because the phone number goes with my parents wherever they go. PLUS it is cheaper than landline phones.

Also, we should be grateful that we got what we have right now, comparing to 200 years ago where there is not much we have, just guns, horses, and to get food, it has to be done by hunting and garden... Alot more work back then than today.

Lighthouse77 said:
I found that even some older generation are more accepting to cellphone (they have one themselves)

Now, there are people who are afraid that cellphone wireless and digital signals can cause cancer or tumors. I've heard people think it would disrupt birds like submarine does to dolphins and whales. don't know if it true but I can imagine people arguing over that.

I'm glad the horse and buggy are gone. Why torture the poor horses?
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right now, my husband's 82 years old grandparents are using some kind of digital phoneline through their cable company. They already using a computer and got rid of their landline.

And my FIL mention to us about blackjack???? (I will have to google it) when my husband told him he no longer use landline.

edited: I found it, it is called magicjack.
 
diehardbiker said:
Of course, the history has repeat. Back in 1990, alot people got upset on switching from horse pulling buggy to autmobiles. Now would you want to stick with Buggy and deal with horses as regular? I am sure majority of you don't want to, why bother build more buggy? Same thing with Telephone, why bother continue maintain and expanding telephone lines where there is Internet lines available and can run as telephone lines?

You may not realize how many technologies that was available and no longer available today, that is the reality, like it or not move on anyway!
Click to expand...

Yea, I was sad that I gave up my horse buggy when I graduated in 1990 and had to buy a car. :(
 
I guess it will be the end of DSL for me if ATT is getting out of the landline business, since DSL works on a landline and I am using ATT/sbcglobal for internet. I am considering getting CLEAR "fast home" internet for $30/month if this happens.

Clear.com High Speed Mobile / Wireless Internet Service Provider

I won't bother with a landline for phone since I never ever use the landline for phone calls. Besides, my ttys that I had, they both died. I use internet and videophone instead, so I would be just throwing my money away if I got a landline. Landline is considered obsolete now. I am not happy with ATT/Sbcglobal anyway because they keep disconnecting every 3-4 hours when I am surfing the internet or using VP, which is quite annoying.
 
I don't think that's good idea to pull landline business out.

There are several reason that 911 aren't ready, there are certainly people who don't believe in wireless.
 
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