Does California still need landline service? Does the United States in general still need landline service?
I haven’t had a landline in years, so if you asked me a few years ago, I probably would’ve said they’re no longer necessary. But after seeing a few internet outages in my area, I’ve changed my mind a bit.
There are still situations where a simple landline can be really useful, especially for older family members who don’t like smartphones or in places where cell coverage isn’t great. I don’t think everyone needs one anymore, but I also don’t think getting rid of them entirely is the right move. Having the option still makes sense for the people who rely on it.
Yes I think there is a case for land line service, not so much for simplicity as for lack of any alternative. A few years ago I came out of an area, 1 phone exchange out of a good sized city, where cell service was possible only on rooftop. And forget the old saw, “Anybody can get DSL” That was flat not available.
Now these areas of no terrestrial service are out there in all or most states for sure, but we have the rapid build out of LEO satellite systems with ability to serve you even off the grid with no wires and I presume one could put a VoIP adaptor on starlink connection.
Doing VoIP can be expensive or quite cheap. My sister whizzed away a kilobudk a year to AT&T for 5 years before I convinced her to take VoIP which is costing her I think less than $10 a month. For technology-challenged people there are services like Ooma that cost more but require little effort other than money.