Important Information for Landline and Cellular Calling

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."