Get Ready to Kiss Your Landline Goodbye

Are you like my sister and brother-in-law? They refuse to give up their landline. They say it is the number they've had forever. It's the only number people know for them, changing it would be a major hassle...yada, yada.

Why they haven't switched to cell phones is something only known to them. But they're not alone, just growing smaller in number every day.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Health Interview Survey tracks estimates of how many U.S. households have wireless services and nothing else, and it is a lot.

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More than three-quarters of Americans live in homes without landlines, so if you still have one, you're definitely in the minority. In fact, another survey indicates that the number is closer to 80% of Americans.

AT&T recently announced that they would be ending copper wire landlines to most users by 2029. There are many reasons, but they mainly say that copper wire landlines are old and expensive to maintain, and fiber and broadband networks offer better service.

Some consumer advocates are saying that the removal of traditional landline service is unfair to senior citizens who don't want or can't afford cell phones, and also to consumers who live in rural areas or places with unreliable cell service.

AT&T says they're working with the state and federal regulators as they are going through this process. So what happens when 2029 rolls around? Which is the target date for this project to be completed?

AT&T has said that every customer will have access to the services they need, but how that will be accomplished, especially in South Dakota, at this point, remains to be seen.

Source: USA Today