Here’s Why You Should Get a Landline — Yep, Even in 2025



For better or worse, we’ve become increasingly reliant on technology, both in our personal and professional lives. This is especially true when it comes to phones, with a whopping 98% of Americans now owning a mobile phone. On the other hand, a mere 29% of Americans still own a landline, down steeply from 2004, when more than 90% of Americans had one. The massive swing over the past two decades is likely due to the ability of cellphones to communicate from virtually anywhere, instead of being limited to a home. Many Americans can’t justify paying a monthly fee for a service that seems antiquated. The problem is, cellphones are great……..until they’re not. Anyone who’s been unable to charge their phone during a brief power outage from a thunderstorm or snowstorm knows that life can grind to a halt when we lose access to calls, texts and emails. So, why do you need a landline? The plain old landline may serve as a lifeline in the event of a mobile service disruption, including natural disasters. AT&T customers, for example, experienced a wireless outage for several hours in February 2024 due to a coding error, and in September 2024, Verizon suffered a major outage, as did T-Mobile. Category 4 Hurricane Milton that hit the U.S. in October 2024, caused 12.3% of cellphone towers to be down in areas of Florida impacted by the storm. Landlines work better during power outages because they receive power directly through the phone line itself, which is separate from the household electricity grid. Therefore, the phone company’s backup generators can power the lines even when your home power is out. Landlines also allow emergency services to locate a 911 caller‘s origin more easily than an enhanced 911 call on a cellphone.