Landline technology had a good run. First installed more than one hundred years ago, it’s been the communication backbone of our economy for decades and provided us with the means of creating vast wealth. With that said, landlines are coming to the end of their useful life, so much so, that major providers like AT&T are planning on pulling the plug on the technology. You may no longer be able to pay for a landline service at all.
Why Is This Happening?
It’s all coming on the back of new emerging technologies. 5G is only the start. Several companies are now looking at installing networks of satellites in space, providing high-speed, universal coverage for all internet-enabled devices. The need for an expensive landline service no longer seems realistic.
Landlines did well in the early days of the internet. If it hadn’t been for landlines providing a network that ISPs could use, it’s unlikely that the web would have taken off as it did. Some communities might have had to wait for years for providers to lay separate cables. But the technology today seems hopelessly outdated, and the phone companies can see the writing on the wall. The days of landlines are limited.
The Problem For Businesses
This presents a problem for businesses. Many companies rely on landlines for all kinds of things, like their telephone service, security, and fire response. Without landline systems, all those things could become redundant, and firms may expose themselves to substantial risks.
Just imagine the following situation. Let’s say that your company operates from an office which uses a legacy fire alarm system. If there’s a fire today, then the fire alarm system will send an automatic alert to the fire department, via the telephone line, helping to get emergency services to you as quickly as possible. However, if the phone lines are switched off, then that message will never get through, putting life and property at risk.
More worryingly, most companies probably aren’t consciously aware that this is an issue. When the phone lines get switched off, many will continue as normal, expecting their alarms to work as they always have; they won’t.
Are There Solutions?
The good news is that despite the technological disruption, innovative companies are finding solutions. Wireless mesh technology has come on leaps and bound in recent years and connects fire alarm systems to emergency services without relying on landlines.
Other companies are investigating how to improve security systems so that they can work through the wireless internet, rather than through a separate phone line. It should be possible to connect with police services, just as companies can contact the fire department, but again the problem is one of implementation. The technology exists, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that firms are using it.
Conclusion
The end of landlines is likely to have a profound impact on small businesses who rely on them. Companies may struggle to get in contact with customers. And some firms that don’t have any technical skills may not be able to replace their landlines with alternative forms of online communication quickly.
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