Everyone Landline or no landline??

[Beth Brotherton]

We are considering discontinuing our landline. Does anyone know if a landline still works during power outages? Last power outage our landline was not functioning.

[terryp]

My landline works during power outages for the most part.  Sometimes it doesn't.

[John Hardman]

My landline phone works w/o power.  Cordless phones require power to operate.  Regular phones do not. 
If Centurylink's backup generator runs out of fuel, land lines will go down too. (ie: during the Callwood Fire)

[Tim Stokes]

Most likely your iPhone is dependent upon the internet – either because you are using internet calling or you've installed a mobile phone arm that is fed by your internet router. So, power outages aside, if the internet goes down, or your router decides that its life is too complicated and so it moves on to that great internet beyond the sky, then in those cases you would still have a working phone. Also, if the internet is just having a squirrely day, your landline phone should remain consistent and clear. (It is possible that over there on the south facing land-of-plenty, not only do you get additional sunlight, but you also have direct cellular service – not dependent on the internet. Seems unlikely. And if you do, I'd rather not know )

[Hollis]

        We are considering discontinuing our landline. Does anyone know if a landline still works during power outages? Last power outage our landline was not functioning.

I discontinued my landline service in 2013.

I use a VoIP (voice over internet phone) Ooma is the brand, works great. If I recall correctly you can keep your old landline phone number and you can register the number for reverse 911 notifications. See details about keeping your old number in the link below.

I like the voicemail forwarding via email.

The only issue is if the internet is down, you have no phone service.

https://www.ooma.com

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We are considering discontinuing our landline. Does anyone know if a landline still works during power outages? Last power outage our landline was not functioning.

Forgot to mention, my internet service is JTI aka Jon-Ash-net :O) Works great.
If you have Century Link, you may have to jump through some hoops to get internet only service.
I posted a screen shot of my Ooma savings on phone service above.

[betty dowe]

Beth
when the power goes down, I use my blue princess phone on my landlines and all is well.  My answering machine does not work though.

[O'B's]

Hi all-
Landlines run during power outages until the battery backup at the switch fails. If an outage is particularly protracted, CL will connect a generator to the switch to keep it running. People living in the mountains should maintain their landlines so that the everbridge (reverse 911) can reach them. The 911 dispatching system runs on the revenues from landlines it's the 911 surcharge in your bill. This is how the 911 dispatch centers are maintained and upgraded. Cell phones, even with a micro cell or VOIP, aren't always reliable. If you choose to abandon your landline, please make sure your cell phone is registered with the Sheriff's office: https://member.everbridge.net/453003085612231/login

[Rose H-H]

It seems like a few months ago, there was a presentation by Bela at a Town Board meeting where there was consideration of doing something to extend the time landlines would work during a power outage.  Is there anyone who remembers more details about this?

[O'B's]

Hi Rose-
the proposal was for the town to provide it's own generator and trained operators so we didn't have to wait on CL since a long outage is usually a larger area. Although this does highlight the need to evacuate when directed, many affected by outages are the result of shutting the lines down intentionally for wildfire purposes or other natural disaster. It's one of the many reasons we need folks to evacuate when asked, we won't be able to communicate as easily with those who stay behind, after the batteries are played at the switch, especially if there's no backup power like a generator. We maintain our landline intentionally.

[Laurel Wanrow]

Because Micro Cells were mentioned, I'll add in that we had one until last year when AT&T discontinued their use. I liked it because it worked if the internet did not, but did depend on having electricity. I never checked if other providers still offered them.

[CheyenneWills]

This all assumes that the Century Link station down at the Elysian park has power of some sort.  If this station is down then any type of phone or network service from the phone line will be down.

In the event of a power outage, you need to take a look at the devices in your home that are connected to the phone line.

The most simple is an old fashioned landline telephone that obtains its power from the actual phone line coming into your house.  You can verify that you have one of these in that there is only one wire to the actual telephone and that is the one coming from the phone jack.  In the event of a power outage, this type of phone will continue to work as long as the phone service itself is supplying power.

Anything else will require an alternative power source, either a battery backup (i.e UPS - uninterrupted power supply) or a generator.

If you decide to drop the landline, you will still need to have some sort of internet connection (either through the DSL service provided by Century Link) or through some satellite service. 

You still need to make a couple of decisions if you are dropping the landline, VoIP or using your cell phone via some sort of connection to the internet.

If you go the VoIP route, you will need to subscribe to a service (e.g. Vonage).  With VoIP you will receive a little box that you plug a landline phone into then the box itself plugs into your network (this is what we use).  The VoIP services typically have a 911 address registration.

If you go with the cell phone route, you will need either some sort of micro cell box that plugs into your network (much like the VoIP box), or your cell phone and cell service provider needs to support WiFi calling.  With the wifi calling you typically register a 911 address with your cell service provider.  

If you do drop the landline, you should register whatever phone number you are using with the Sheriff's office as O'B posted above.

Also be aware that I had some problems registering my wifi-calling cell phone number with my service provider for the E911 facility in order to get WiFI calling to work.  I think they use post office information and they could not validate the street address.  I was able to eventually  get the information setup by going through a customer service person instead of trying to use their web interface.

[Jackie Dow]

We are considering discontinuing our landline. Does anyone know if a landline still works during power outages? Last power outage our landline was not functioning.

We're considering discontinuing ours too, especially since the price went up. We only use it when there's no power. Our landline stopped working during the Calwood fire...when we couldn't call our older kids to see what was going on anymore, I had to evacuate Nico and the dogs. The dogs were not good, and we had to be escorted back in by animal control,  to drop them off. Unfortunately they wouldn't let me stay....I'm never evacuating again if I can help it, phone or not. It was awful. 
We have one of those old phones that plugs into the wall.  I'm thinking if we had a neighbor with a landline to run to, if there's an emergency, and no power, we really don't need ours.
Not knowing for sure if any neighbors have a landline, or if they would be around, I'm on the fence. Not even sure if I've met new neighbors around my house, I just know they are new. Houses near ours seem to sell without ever being listed .  What did you decide?