| 1. | SECURITY. Your landline phones, at home or at the office,
are directly connected to the 911 telephone network –
allowing emergency agencies to locate you even if you are unable
to speak when you place the call. Currently, most cellular phones
do not have the capability to help authorities find you in case
of an emergency. |
| 2. | PRIVACY.
Unlike cellular phones, which use radio frequencies from which
calls can be easily intercepted, you can be assured of privacy
when calling from your landline phone. Eavesdroppers using simple
devices, such as scanners or even other cell phones, can intercept
analog radio waves that carry wireless calls. |
| 3. | RELIABILITY.
Traditional phone service offers the highest quality voice transmissions.
Redundancy is built into the power systems to ensure constant
service - allowing you to always receive a dialtone when you
need it. Even with advances in technology, wireless phones are
known for poor signal quality and unreliable coverage areas.
And, as more people begin using wireless phones, the call volumes
on the wireless networks can exceed the existing capacity, resulting
in more "failed call attempts." |
| 4. | COST.
Every local call you make or receive, regardless of the time
of day, is included with your wireline charge, and long distance
plans can be selected to fit your specific calling needs. Compare
that with the confusing array of wireless calling plans that
can charge up to 50¢ per minute per call if you go over
your monthly allotment of minutes. And, don't forget the added
cost of "roaming charges", batteries and other accessories
needed to use a typical wireless phone and fees that you might
have to pay to change wireless companies. |
| 5. | CUSTOMER SATISFACTION.
Traditional phone service offers extras, such as listings in
the white pages and/or yellow pages of the local phone directory
and listing with directory assistance. Also, hearing impaired
customers can easily use TTY services to make and receive wireline
calls, a service not typically available on wireless systems.
And, of course, you can always rely on wireline companies such
as TDS Telecom to provide friendly, local service and repair
when you need it. |
| When all the factors are considered,
it is a good choice to have a traditional telephone line for
added reliability, quality, security and satisfaction. Perhaps
the Federal Communications Commission summed it up best in
a recent report stating, "A balanced choice is
often the best one – a combination of landline and wireless
phone use may be the right choice for you." |