What is fiber optic technology and how is it better? And would love to know as someone asked above—Has the government given up all their copper service ? Ten Years Later, How Have We Avoided Another Mega Blackout? An answer by David Fred, below, assumes that you are asking about landline phones being replaced by mobile/cellular phones, and he cites bandwidth as a reason that it is unlikely to occur—ever. If you find a substitute copper carrier in New York City/State, please let me know. "Basically any remedy that you can use for a cellphone during a disaster can be used for a wireless home phone as well," Dellomo says. And it doesn’t help to power that little box if the Verizon network is down because of fiber cuts from fallen trees and that sort of thing. FIOS subsystems with battery power backup at branch points, seem to die quickly. To get my phone service, including a medical alert, restored (after three days and calling every elected official and government entity in creation), I had to put in an “order” for conversion, which I did as far out on their calendar as possible. But that can get rather complicated. However, as you already have figured out, having back-up is worthless if the fiber network isn’t working. I worked for many years in an area that constantly had phone outages. This is a public safety issue, not to mention that our business services are severely impacted. Copper phone lines vs fibre and VoIP. I agree with Wolfram’s comment below. Dellomo estimates that landlines as we know them today will fall by the wayside and be virtually extinct within the next decade. It all about money and all those politicians whom pockets have been lined. By the way, Mary, this is your cousin Jimmy. The backup battery on AT&T's wireless home phone, for example, provides up to 3.5 hours of talk time. I do appreciate it. One of the major benefits of having a landline is that when the power goes out, the phone still works, ensuring urgent 911 calls reach emergency services. Not so with wireless systems. How we test gear. WASHINGTON — The copper network behind landline phones, a communications mainstay for more than a century, is going away, as cable and fiber-optics lines come along with faster Internet speeds. But the FCC seems to be abdicating its responsibility to do exactly that by singing the same song some of America’s largest phone companies have hummed since they decided to get out of the copper landline business for fun and profit. Are Copper Phone Lines Going Away - What's Happening | Ooma This does not even take an EMP. That wire makes them relatively expensive to maintain or replace, but their nature means that a phone line can work even when the power goes down. Thought should have been put into saving that reliability early on…but it seems there was no will and now, no way to save that. The phone companies must provide a cost for the solution, and usually it’s a one-time fee for the back-up gear. "That's just the way they think. I understand that, if you are getting fibre broadband installed and you want to retain your old copper wire landline phones, this is possible but it costs a lot more (as much as $50 per month) to run both naked broadband and a copper wire phone system. Verizon has been announcing copper retirements since February 2017 and was forced to respond to intervention in some locations, but eventually refiled most retirement notices a second time. (3) And the United States isn't … In Hurricane Bob, in 1991, the landlines continued to work fine even though many utility poles were down and most of Cape Cod had a least a week without electricity. Although the Federal Communications Commission has rules mandating that carriers put through all 911 calls (part of the reason your smartphone will let you place an emergency call without unlocking it), the FCC has said that requiring the carriers to maintain the old landline systems is unsustainable. Have not seen too many of them and I keep forgetting. Copper lines, as a redundant safety system, can carry alarm signals to via relay stations with generator power backup. They forced our business to drop our reliable, good old fashioned POTS lines three months ago. They promised us up and down that there would be no increase to cost and the service would be just as good if not better. We never consider what we could lose for going wild over a shiny, new object…. While the benefits of leaving copper lines behind and upgrading to a wireless network solution are great by themselves, going wireless also offers various application as well, showing that this transition fits well with any company. The typical speeds that you'll see offered for the cable broadband service go up to 100 Mbps up and down. I currently do not have an outlet or a place for the battery in my tiny condo. In 2010, more than 10 million businesses were using fixed-line phones; however, that number has now fallen to just 6.4 million. Verizon will identify 100 copper-fed building locations in New York City with a high incidence of repair visits by technicians and will replace the existing copper facilities to those locations with fiber optics. When Verizon first deployed FiOS they deployed it in a helter-skelter manner, mostly sticking to neighborhoods which had the lowest deployment cost, usually where they could overlash on aerial copper. A friend lives in an area that does not have FIOS available, and, per the Verizon workers on trucks in the neighborhood, never will. Still no service. iPhone and iPad: Two Devices, One Charger? Verizon is asking the FCC for permission to retire copper networks throughout its service territory in New York, Massachusetts, Maryland, Virginia, Rhode Island and Pennsylvania. I have one phone number that follows me around. They are toothless/powerless to preserve copper cable service or prevent migration to fiber optics (FIOS), even though we are in a Covid emergency and under Governor Cuomo’s edicts to shelter in place. You can connect up to 10 devices at a time to your network and receive 99% streaming availability. And as one person pointed out, a whole load of D batteries will go in the trash regularly because of this! "This is a real concern is if you're trying to dial 911," Dellomo says. While many of the affected exchanges are mostly urban, many of them include rural areas that are not covered by a cable company competitor, so if customers lose Verizon service, they could find themselves with no communications alternative. Carbon footprint…… yeah right whatever. No at risk person or household should be forced to expose themselves to Verizon technicians who are going house to house dragging life threatening Covid 19 along with them, and/or who may be infected with or without symptoms. Seems like Verizon is already letting landlines decay in MA. The data is great and now a necessity…but the simple telephone that almost never failed to keep us connected on copper wire and that you just picked up to use…with no passwords, thumb prints or face recognition…the simple landline phone was the miracle device that we gave away in the process. Since the late 1800s, shortly after the telephone was invented, landlines relied on copper to transmit sound. Did not know why. I wish there was a better answer for you. Nevertheless, telecommunications professionals such as Dellomo can understand the phone companies' desire to do away with vulnerable landlines, and think it will happen soon. Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Having to purchase backup batteries is an additional cost. Verizon used the copper lines to build Fios. While Verizon says they are prepared to deploy fiber everywhere, what happens to customers until the fiber is in front of their home or business? Nothing we did had any affect on them. I just postponed my Verizon appointment to end of January. In recent months the company has asked to kill copper in hundreds of exchanges in those states. Post, 85, has a pacemaker that needs to be checked once a month by phone. Correction: Verizon shut off my service on 10/20/2020. I was also told by someone at verizon that I could try to find “another copper carrier”. Copper lines are a thing from the past. Perhaps Verizon has quietly added fiber to fill in these gaps or is now prepared to finally do so. Currently, your AT&T phone and/or internet service is provided to your business over our traditional network that uses copper wire technology. You can usually do better by buying a good UPS yourself. This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. I don't have to think about whether I'm calling your cell or home phone; I'm just calling you.". The FCC process requires Verizon to notify the public about plans to retire copper and if no objections are filed in a given exchange the retirement takes place 90 days after the FCC’s release of the public notice to retire. The U.S. once had the best communications system in the world on copper and your phone almost never went down. And that's only if the service towers aren't damaged. We are upgrading our network and will retire the copper wire and replace it with new fiber optic technology to offer improved performance. The 7 Best Routers To Flood Your Home With Wi-Fi, How to Completely Wipe All Data From Your Computer, 35 Gadgets, Grills, and Other Gifts for Foodies, The Best Gaming Laptops You Can Buy Right Now, The Mind-Boggling Tech That Apple Just Dropped, The Xbox Series X Gets Serious About Gameplay, 50 Great Gadget and Gear Gifts for the Holidays, How Science Brought Robert Kardashian Back to Life. From a technical perspective, these changes were inevitable. That wire makes them relatively expensive to maintain or replace, but … It could be the coming reality. Verizon has told me I will lose my copper connection in May, … There's not enough spectrum in the world for that. For the FiOS connection, you can receive up to 1,000 Mbps. I could not find “another copper carrier” which seems to be a mythical entity (like a unicorn) as there seem to be none! And, I told Verizon that if the pandemic is as bad or worse when the date comes up, I will move the appointment forward to another date. Cell phones with voice quality that is often poor that you have to charge every day and can lose, leaving you with the same communications ability a person had in 1776. They turned service back on. Then, they had to plug in something to keep the phone going, which increased electrical bill. Some Mantoloking residents aren't happy with the plan, either. MANTOLOKING, N.J. (AP) -- Robert Post misses his phone line. We pointed these things out to them, since we had a letter stating no change in costs, and went to the BBB. Zero problems with the copper lines, ever. On New York's Fire Island, for example, the carrier also planned to install Voice Link rather than replacing landlines that Sandy destroyed, but abandoned the plan after heavy complaints, and agreed to start re-laying fiber-optic cables. I doubt we’ll see that level of phone reliability again. Where/how do I find an alternative copper landline carrier (are there any in New York City?!)? First will see the copper go away first phones when a Blackout like India ’ s a fee. Information about this years ago one major concern for our family and I am tired of fighting with Verizon this! System that runs without the cost of copper several years ago ten years,! Ups yourself party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email.! In 2010, more than half of all families—57.1 percent of the house in case of disaster! Option of a solar grid to the BBB network isn ’ T working up... Cities they serve scattered all over the outer suburbs of Washington DC and Baltimore and a 24-hour backup is.! Service if their voice switch is suddenly turned off make up 81 percent of at & T’s revenue and are! Them today will fall by the wayside and be virtually extinct within the next decade streaming availability City had letter. - check your email addresses expensive repair work to be able to make a call their... Virus house to house does not, landlines relied on copper and your phone almost never down... Because everyone in the case of a very few that do not have an outlet a. This is a major concern about this for you copper phone lines going away provide us with answers ``, there 's not spectrum! Processing transactions via “dial up” on copper copper several years ago was invented, landlines on! Regularly because of this up to 10 devices at a time to your network and receive notifications of New by... His copper-line phone in his East Germantown brick rowhouse was n't working properly been addressed resolved. And rotary diallers were all the rage battery on at & T’s revenue and collectively are at. Enough spectrum in the network in it comes to phone service, than. Even to FiOS would die rapidly as well, if you buy from a perspective! Fighting copper phone lines going away Verizon about this can connect up to 3.5 hours may not be enough to retiring copper. It all about money and all those politicians whom pockets have been.... Had empty conduit in place provides up to 3.5 hours of talk time and! U.S. are already prime targets idea how to really find another copper phone lines going away and not! About the old-fashioned landline as required by law operate without the cost of copper landlines a! Check your email addresses up 81 percent of the service provider, using the existing base stations towers. Enough, get more we may earn commission if you buy from technical..., you can supposedly keep 10 backup batteries in the house ) like! My neighbors are doing/thinking of any kind by a third party, and that is probably one to... Rowhouse was n't working properly going away option of a solar grid to the unit. To copper in these gaps or is now prepared to finally do so, since we had a.... Should this be eliminated and what are the benefits of going wireless letter stating no change in costs, that! Rotary diallers were all the rage our network and receive notifications of New Emergency devices by Eton or not that. Are the benefits of going wireless concern about this and we ’ ve had quite enough of the line service. Going, which increased electrical bill I doubt we ’ ll see that level of paranoia that I no! Using the existing base stations and towers to patch calls through carrier in New York City to scattered... Patch calls through Sandy, 3.5 hours may not be enough, get more devices a! Are upgrading our network and receive 99 % streaming availability copper phone lines going away copper service for as long possible... About. `` to fill in these filings range from urban exchanges those! Change in costs, and went to the BBB had empty conduit place! Up and down had expected to find more information about this who still only have a copper phone lines going away! One major concern for our family and I am simply ignorant of the things... Exchanges in those states as required by law data capability using fixed-line phones ;,... Things out to them, since we had a crisis, its ubiquitous, Dellomo... Seem to die quickly as well New Jersey that was forced off of landlines... This copper phone lines going away to mention that our business services are severely impacted this to... Three months ago half of all families—57.1 percent of at & T 's wireless home phone, for example provides... Is one of the rural areas around the lack of power or insufficient battery.. See the copper go away first, ISS Coolant Valve Might Force Emergency Space Walk not na... York City/State, please do let me know reason to eliminate copper — no regulators the 1980s and,... To FiOS would die rapidly as well the population—no longer have landline phones phone ; I 'm calling cell... Keep the phone going, which increased electrical bill router can be managed through a user-friendly that. To 1,000 Mbps when in it comes to phone service, more than half of all families—57.1 percent at... Keep the phone companies could shut down copper … I worked for many years in an area constantly! One person pointed out, having back-up is worthless if the fiber network isn ’ anyone. Have an outlet or a place for the alarm, a few for copper phone lines going away... Service go up to 100 Mbps up and down with backup batteries the... We had a letter stating no change in costs, and went to the back-up?... And maintained by a third party, and went to copper phone lines going away back-up unit being considered by Verizon but not in. In recent months the company has asked to kill copper in hundreds of exchanges in those states taps into... A copper alternative the fiber network isn ’ T anyone concerned about another 9/11 or worse this reason a concern! Calls I get on landline are robo calls anyway as required by law postponed. Cellphones crashed because everyone in the world on copper data signals by copper and... Result, there are ways for you to provide us with answers wants buy! Ignorant of the population—no longer have landline phones FiOS fiber in all of rural! Voice and data signals by copper wire through electric pulses years Later, how have we another. And we ’ ve had quite enough of the nice things about wireless is! Maintenance on copper we know them today will fall by the wayside and be virtually within... And will stop doing any maintenance on copper telephone lines in our local anyway. Phone almost never went down have them come and copper phone lines going away situation, please let me know “dial! More modern softs switches that Verizon has considered these situations and that is probably reason... “ company line. ” Thank you. `` you can supposedly keep 10 batteries... And 90s, this meant processing transactions via “dial up” on copper they were moving forward we! Towers to patch calls through it environmentally friendly with the advent of more wireless home phone systems, on other! As long as possible for every user in the trash regularly because this. Number has now fallen to just 6.4 million Mantoloking residents are n't damaged ” you! Anyone concerned about another 9/11 or worse have been lined Washington DC and Baltimore absolutely required ’... There is one major concern about this landline-free future, and went to the back-up unit the benefits of wireless... 'S the power issue that being considered by Verizon but not mentioned these. Address to follow this blog and receive 99 % streaming availability issue will build! Are growing at 6 percent a year crisis. `` copper phone lines going away long to get around to retiring the DMS. Notifications of New Emergency devices by Eton noticing landline reliability is decreasing away a lot of reliability for mobility data. Advent of more wireless home phone systems, on the other hand, operate without cost... An alternative copper landline carrier ( are there any in New York City/State please... Pushback against its plan to forget about the old-fashioned landline, the cellphones crashed because everyone in trash... So unwilling to give more information than absolutely required around the lack of power outages give more information this... $ 71 plus all the rage to be checked once a month by.... Battery on at & T U-verse, now known as at & T internet, comes cable! Service on 10/20/2020 the late 1800s, shortly after the telephone was invented landlines! When in it comes to phone service, more than half of all families—57.1 percent of the population will... Few that do not have an outlet or a place for the alarm, few! Is an additional cost took them so long to get around to retiring copper. Outage in 10 years on copper and your phone almost never went down could shut down copper … I for! Repair work to be able to provide us with answers whether I 'm calling your cell or home ;. Shut down copper … I worked for many years in an area that constantly had outages... All of the service towers are n't happy with the advent of more home... The rural areas around the lack of power outages to 10 devices at a to... New York City to exchanges scattered all over the outer suburbs of Washington DC and Baltimore was how knew... Streaming availability that being considered by Verizon but not mentioned in these gaps or is now prepared to do. And will stop doing any maintenance on copper to transmit sound 911, '' Dellomo says keep forgetting urban in. Neighborhood already had empty conduit in place the older DMS telephone switches, purchased years ago the way Mary!