What a strange path that telephone service has taken in the world. It is difficult to imagine that before 1876, nobody had a telephone of any kind, much less one that could fit in your pocket. It wasn’t until 1998 that everyone had a telephone of one type or another. Prices have changed drastically, as well, in that we have gone from renting a telephone at less than $5 per month to paying several hundred dollars for a cell phone today. Today, most people can’t even fathom having to pay for a long-distance call.
Another thing that has changed is that very few households rely entirely on landline telephone service and the number of households that have both a landline and one or more cell phones is also on the decline. This makes many wonder if telephone service will go away completely before long. Here are a few reasons why that might take some time to occur, if ever:
- Businesses- Most businesses rely on landline telephone service to conduct business, even though their employees in the field have cell phones. There are some companies that work entirely off cell phones, but that is not feasible for every type of industry and business.
- Elderly- Our older citizens tend to keep having landline telephone service because that’s what they have always had. They make up the roughly 5 percent of households that have only landline telephone service.
- Credit purposes- It might surprise you that having a landline can actually affect your credit, albeit minimally. The reason is that having a landline indicates that your residency is provable and stable. It might not have a huge influence on your credit score, per se, but it can influence the decision of certain lenders.
- Bundles- Some telecommunication companies that have installed fiber optic internet service in their communities have the requirement that you have a landline, as well, even if you never use it.
- 911- Households that want to be sure they’ll get accurate and quick response when calling 911 for help will keep a landline active as calling from a cell phone doesn’t allow for as accurate a dispatch of emergency services. This is changing, however, as cell phone manufacturers are working on innovations so that your cell phone can share your exact location with 911.
If you are a business that requires landline telephone service to operate effectively and you need lines installed or repaired, reach out to us at GP Associates Inc. in Knightdale, North Carolina. With our extensive team of experienced professionals, we are more than capable of handling your telephone service project from start to finish. Call today to learn more.