(NewsNation) — Thousands of Americans reported issues with phone services Thursday, which many argue is an example of why consumers need access to landlines and access to 911 during an emergency or power outage, as telephone companies seek to phase out traditional landline services.
Brian Fontes, CEO of NENA: The 911 Association (National Emergency Number Association), told USA Today that if phone utilities decide to eliminate copper-wire landlines, consumers will need to have reliable power backups for alternative methods.
“I don’t want the consumer to all of the sudden find themselves stranded or isolated or incapable of communicating,” Fontes said. “Everybody should have access to 911.”
Although advocates are pushing for telecoms to not eliminate landline services due to their reliability, many Americans who still use landlines will soon need to decide if they want to finally hang up their service.
Why phase out landlines?
More telecoms want to phase out telephone landline services to shift to a new infrastructure. Over the last few years, many providers have gradually transitioned to fiber optics and ethernet access, replacing older copper wire telephone lines.
AT&T has become part of this trend, applying for a waiver with the California Public Utilities Commission to discontinue its traditional landline service in the state. The company added it is “not canceling landline service in California.”
Lisa Pierce, a research vice president at market research firm Gartner, told CNN about 100 million landlines are currently active in the U.S.
According to the National Health Interview Survey, 72.6% of adults and 81.9% of children lived in households without a landline by the end of 2022. Compared to 2006, when just 15.8% of American households did not have a landline telephone.
The data, which tracks with estimates from Gartner, estimates that in 2024, about 80% of all individual voice connections are through mobile phones and 20% are through landlines, USA Today reports. Pierce said the 20% represents about 88 million lines nationwide.
What are the downsides of phasing out landlines
Some experts argue phasing out landlines could be a significant disadvantage in disaster-prone areas during emergencies such as hurricanes or severe flooding.
The Rural County Representatives of California, a group advocating for rural communities, has expressed “significant concerns,” stating copper-based landlines can serve as an essential safety net.
It's crucial to consider the impact on small businesses. Additionally, this change could leave the country's most vulnerable without a basic utility.
Tim Morstad, government affairs director of livable communities for AARP, told USA Today there's a concern for senior citizens who aren’t interested in eliminating their landlines for cell phones, and for consumers in rural areas that may not have good cell service.
“Traditional landlines have provided reliable service for over a century, and while many consumers have adopted new technologies, not all have access to affordable alternatives to landlines,” Morstad said.
He added that in some instances companies seek to not only eliminate the obligation to provide landline service but no longer provide discounts to income-qualified customers on their bill.
This would be a devastating one-two punch for these customers,” he said.
Pierce told USA Today phone utilities are facing issues with equipment that's no longer being produced. The number of employees who are qualified to service the equipment is dwindling due to retirement or layoffs due to downsizing, she added.
However, consumers who want or need to keep copper-line landlines are the ones being impacted, she said. Additionally, some home alarm systems rely on copper-line landlines and businesses with elevators and call boxes also depend on landline services, Pierce said.
Pierce said if phone companies get approval to eliminate landlines, they won't be phased out immediately.
“The best thing for anyone to do is go look for alternatives,” so they’re not surprised when they don’t have access to the landline, she told USA Today.
What are alternatives to landlines?
Some landline alternatives are cell phones or Voice Over Internet Protocol (voIP) phones. Many seniors have struggled to adapt to new technology, including cell phones, so they prefer landlines. Susan Weinstock, CEO of the Consumer Federation of America told USA Today seniors should have access to one that affordable.
However, Weinstock said landline alternatives, like cell phones or Voice Over Internet Protocol phones, cost more than the traditional basic phone service and require good cell or Internet service and electricity.
Regina Costa, telecommunications policy director for The Utility Reform Network in California and chair of the telecommunications committee for the National Association of State Utility Consumer Advocates, shared similar sentiments, telling USA Today that "service needs to be available to all customers at a reasonable cost."
“Customers really get squeezed with service offerings and price increases” for alternatives, she said.
NewsNation's Xavier Walton contributed to this report.