How to get Landline phone Service

[Barbisi]

shipo , you do make some good points (as usual), LOL!
Still, I like the convenience of another phone line not connected to the web as a backup and alternative source for making or receiving phone calls.
It's also nice not to have to change the phone number to a local Washington one (as we will have to do when we change cell phone providers here. {I hate T-Mobile!!!!!}
I love choice, variety and change from the static status quo!

[shipo]

Keep a few points in mind:
Unlike many decades gone by where a conversation via a "land line" was copper from end to end, such hasn't been the case for a very long time; yes, you may well have copper to your Central Office, but from there it is pushed out on the internet, and from there to the end provider of the phone at the other end.

Even full copper pair environments are susceptible to outages, many times the land lines are down but the mobile phone towers and circuits stay up. Here are two such occasions which happened to me:

Hinsdale, IL Central Office Fire 08-May-1988: at the time I lived in Lisle, IL and had five phone lines, four copper pair land lines and one "cellular phone" (in my car); all four land lines were out for a week or more, meanwhile my car phone continued to work unless I was in the Oakbrook/Hinsdale vicinity.

New England Ice Storm 11 & 12-Dec-2008: at the time I lived in Windham, NH and had three phone lines, two copper pair land lines, a mobile phone, and cable TV based internet; once again, both land lines and the cable TV internet were take down due to the "over 100 line breaks" between our house and the central offices of the phone company and the cable TV provider. In this case, power to our home was restored after 8 days, phone and internet service took another 2 days, but of course, my mobile phone was still fully operational for the duration.

[Barbisi]

Thank you, guys!
Yes, Zombie13 did contact Century Link and we've got the instillation set up for mid- September.
We had Century Link as our internet provider during the BK13, but recently switched to Verizon because in this more secluded area of Renton, Century link didn't work as well we found, and we were "tired" of their service anyway.
But, for landline phone service they will be fine, and we aren't forced to bundle to save money anymore. I think Century Link was our landline provider in Colorado pre- BK13 as well.
For me, it's just startling that land-line service are in danger of extinction when it is a viable and possibly life-saving option during internet, cellphone updates or electric power outages.

[despritfreya]

I am not sure why you think it is a problem to get a landline. Centurylink services at least the Seattle area and, I would imagine, the entire state.

https://www.centurylink.com/local/wa/seattle/home-phone-service

Unless you are in such a rural area that phone lines (above or below ground) don't exist, you should be able to get normal - old fashioned - phone service. So what am I missing?

Personally, I rarely, if ever, use a cell phone, and the one that I do have is just a flip phone - no texting, no nothing - just a phone. Centurylink is my landline provider. It is also my Internet provider, but one has nothing to do with the other.

Des.

[sophieanne]

Barbisi -Hi! I needed plain old telephone service a couple years ago..Century Link was the provider who was able to provide the service.

[justbroke]

I remember when Verizon "replaced" all the copper and plain-old-telephone-service (POTS lines) were no longer available. Cable providers do something similar and have a battery to ensure service. For alarms, the cellular provided service seems to be the state of the art. I was able to keep my "copper" lines from Verizon since I had a hardwired alarm.

[Carmella]

My "home phone" is through my internet provider and has been for years. They do have a battery back up so if the power goes out it still works. But I think if the internet goes out it does not work.

[shipo]

These days most new "land line" phone service through your standard RJ-11 phone jack is still IP based.

If I recall correctly, when my son mustered out of the Navy on Whidbey Island a couple of years ago, the apartment he was renting had "land line" phone service provided by Century Link; you might want to check and see if they still provide twisted pair copper to your home. Keep in mind though, old school analog phone service is now typically much more expensive than IP based phone service.

[Barbisi]

Yet another Bk13 left over dilemma!
How can we get a landline installed in 2022?
We want landline phone service, but it sounds like everything is 100% internet and wireless based and no old school phone jacks in the wall work now.
Is this true?
The only reason we disconnected our landline in 2017 was to save money during the BK13 lean years. We can again afford the extra cost of a plain Jane home phone.
sophieanne, I know you live in Washington. Do you yourself use a landline home phone? If so, who is your provider? (If you prefer, please send info in a PM.) Thank you for reading .
I just find it so frustrating that landline phones suddenly became extinct only when our BK13 ended.