AT&T asks FCC to make landlines obsolete

[DaemonSeid]

In almost a humorous sense of irony, AT&T is asking the FCC to kill landlines for good, despite having troubles maintaining their current cell phone network, according to Cult of Mac. AT&T's past arguments have been the large influx of iPhone users has had a negative impact on data congestion.

"With each passing day, more and more communications services migrate to broadband and IP-based services, leaving the public switched telephone network and plain-old telephone service as relics of a by-gone era," AT&T stated. "It makes no sense to require service providers to operate and maintain two distinct networks when technology and consumer preferences have made one of them increasingly obsolete," they continued.

While AT&T certainly has a point, one still has to wonder what it would mean for their cell phone network, if all landline users had to make the jump to the cell phone.

link


Sorry AT&T I like my landline too much to depend soley on your jacked up coverage.

[tld221]

Kill landlines for homes, because theyre still relevant for work and those who have physical offices..

also, (and im really stretching here) I feel like ACS (or your respective child welfare services dept) requires homes to have landlines in case of emergencies.

[DrPhil]

Are they serious? Another instance of forcing higher priced and imperfect technology in a "free world."

Anyone who has been in an ice storm where the cell phone and internet signals are jacked up but the LAN lines are still working can appreciate why it's important to have MORE THAN ONE WAY OF COMMUNICATING outside of cell phones and computers.

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by tld221

Kill landlines for homes, because theyre still relevant for work and those who have physical offices..

also, (and im really stretching here) I feel like ACS (or your respective child welfare services dept) requires homes to have landlines in case of emergencies.

LAN lines are relevant for both home and office. Not to mention that it isn't their role to tell us what's relevant if we're willing to pay for it.

[AOII Angel]

Yeah, I don't think my dictation system would function off of a cell phone. I actually have 17 phone lines linked to my office! And on any given day I use every single one of them.

[tld221]

Originally Posted by DrPhil

LAN lines are relevant for both home and office. Not to mention that it isn't their role to tell us what's relevant if we're willing to pay for it.

my comment was more rhetorical - i know that there's a huge population that still use landlines regularly in their homes.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by DrPhil

Not to mention that it isn't their role to tell us what's relevant if we're willing to pay for it.

Actually, in this instance it is, because the FCC specifically asked them.

Some context might be helpful here. The FCC, pursuant to Congressional directive aimed at providing broadband availability to 100% of Americans, issued a public notice seeking comment on "Transition from Circuit-Switched Network [LAN lines] to All IP Network." (See the public notice here.) AT&T's response, which led to the story, is here.

AT&T didn't just make a suggestion to the FCC. It was responding to the FCC's specific questions. The gist of what AT&T said was that the question of movement away from LAn lines to other technologies (including broadband, which is still wired) was not a question of if but when. Assuming it will happen, then what does the FCC need to do regulation-wise to make any transition smooth and to ensure that resources that could be used to develop and improve new technologies aren't diverted to maintain technologies that are becoming obsolete.

I'm not defending AT&T's position or attacking it. Just noting that there's a context and background that the article DS linked doesn't reflect at all.

[DrPhil]

That sucks.

Thanks for the context.

[DaemonSeid]

Originally Posted by tld221

my comment was more rhetorical - i know that there's a huge population that still use landlines regularly in their homes.

One of them...as a matter of fact I still keep a wired phone for those times when all else fails. I find it even more comical that this is AT&T asking for this.




and thanks for the other side of the article MC

[tld221]

Originally Posted by DaemonSeid

LMAO these commercials always crack me UP. Verizon's ads win though.

[Kappamd]

It makes me so sad that Luke Wilson has stooped to making those terrible commercials for AT&T. I mean really, you're going to defend that shitty coverage?

[xxstardust]

I loved Verizon's Christmastime commercial - with the iPhone getting sent to the Island of Misfit Toys because of AT&T's craptastic network?? Priceless!

I will say though - despite their much better network, Verizon REALLY needs work in their Customer Relations department. I have never met so many nasty, uninterested people in my lifetime as I have when dealing with them!

[thetygerlily]

AT&T dropped their land line coverage in the northwest last year. We switched to VOIP (OOMA) and never have to pay another monthly phone bill. Works for me. We needed non-cell phones for international calls & calling cards (in-laws are in Brazil). Although I know VOIP and cell phones aren't for everyone... in a power outage we're screwed on the VOIP- that's the sole reason we bought car chargers for our cells a few years ago (power was out for 4 days).

We also have AT&T for cell phones. Got them when they were AT&T, then Cingular, then AT&T, then... did they change again? I don't remember. I love my iPhone but I get plenty of dropped calls. And it kills me when I lose all connectivity in the core of my office building, but my coworker is talking on his phone inside the elevator. I wouldn't mind better coverage... Let's make sure it works as is before putting more stress on it