Landline

A landline is a phone that stays in one place.

It uses a wire to work. The wire connects to a big office. This wire carries your voice to other people.

Some landline phones use metal wires. Others use thin glass wires. These wires can also bring fast internet to your home.

Many people use mobile phones now. In some lands, more people use mobile phones. This is because towers are easy to build.

In the United States, many homes have both. Some people only use mobile phones.

Landlines have been used for a long time. They are still very important today.

A landline is a telephone service that uses wires. These wires can be made of metal or optical fiber. Optical fiber is a very thin wire made of glass.

These wires connect your home to a central office. A single pair of wires reaches your house. This wire can also carry high-speed internet. We call this service DSL.

Many people use mobile phones today. In Africa, mobile phone use grew very fast. Between 2000 and 2008, mobile use rose a lot. It went from 2 out of 100 people to 33 out of 100.

In the United States, many homes have both services. In 2017, about 46 percent of homes had landlines. More than half of homes had only mobile phones. Some new services use the internet to make calls. This is called VoIP. VoIP lets you use your phone number anywhere with internet. This helps people work from home.

A landline is a telephone service that uses physical connections. It is also called a fixed line. This service uses cables or wires to carry sound. These wires can be metal conductors or optical fiber.

A landline is different from wireless mobile service. One helpful feature is that it allows many phones to work at once on one number. People sometimes call this plain old telephone service, or POTS. This system helps people stay connected to homes and offices.

How does the signal travel to your house? It starts at a central office, which is also called a wirecenter. From there, copper wires travel through different layers of cabling. These wires go through distribution points in an exchange area. Eventually, a single pair of wires reaches your home or office. This connection point is called a network interface, or NID.

Inside your building, wires go from the NID to your phones. Some landlines even carry high-speed internet through a system called DSL.

People have used these networks for a very long time. In 2003, the CIA World Factbook said there were 1.263 billion main telephone lines. China had the most with 350 million lines. The United States had 268 million lines. The United Kingdom had 23.7 million residential home telephones.

Today, many people are moving toward new ways of talking. Some countries like Estonia and the Netherlands have already retired their old networks.

Usage habits are changing quickly around the world. In Africa, mobile phone use grew much faster than landlines. Between 2000 and 2008, mobile use rose from 2 in 100 people to 33 in 100. In the United States, things are changing too. In 2004, only 45.9 percent of people aged 12 to 17 had cell phones. By 2008, about 77 percent of adults owned a mobile phone. In 2013, 91 percent of U.S. adults owned a mobile phone.

Modern technology offers new ways to use old numbers. This is called Voice over IP, or VoIP. VoIP uses an internet connection to make calls. This service allows you to keep your landline number without being tied to one place. You can use it on smartphones or computers. This makes it easier for people to work from home. It is a flexible way to stay in touch in a mobile world.

A landline, also known as a fixed line, is a telephone service provided to a subscriber through physical connections. These connections use cables or wires, such as metal conductors or optical fiber. This service is distinct from wireless mobile services that are now found everywhere. One unique feature of a landline is that it allows multiple telephones to operate at the same time using a single phone number. People often refer to this traditional system as plain old telephone service, or POTS.

The mechanism of a landline relies on a complex network called the outside plant. This network begins at a central office, which is sometimes called a wirecenter. From this central point, analogue copper wires travel through various tiers of cabling. These cables pass through different distribution points within an exchange area. Eventually, a single pair of copper wires or an optical fiber reaches a subscriber's home or office. This specific connection point is known as the network interface, or NID. From the NID, customer premises wiring extends to the actual telephones inside the building.

Landline technology can support various types of services and connections. Some lines carry high-speed internet through a digital subscriber line, or DSL. This system links the user back to a digital subscriber line access multiplexer, known as a DSLAM, located in the central office. Other types of connections include T-1, T-3, or an Integrated Services Digital Network, or ISDN. While many modern phones are cordless, some landline sets use a hard-wired handset. Interestingly, wired handset landline telephones do not require mains electricity to function.

Historically, landline networks were the primary way the world communicated. In 2003, the CIA World Factbook reported approximately 1.263 billion main telephone lines worldwide. China led the world with more than 350 million lines. The United States held the second position with 268 million lines. The United Kingdom had 23.7 million residential fixed home telephones at that time.

However, the early 21st century saw a decline in landline installations. This change happened because mobile network technology advanced and copper wire networking became obsolete.

Global usage statistics show a massive shift toward mobile technology. In Africa, mobile phone growth has outpaced landline growth. Between 1998 and 2008, Africa added only 2.4 million landlines. In contrast, mobile use rose from fewer than 2 in 100 people to 33 out of 100 between 2000 and 2008.

In the United States, the shift is also clear. In 2004, only 45.9 percent of people aged 12 to 17 owned cell phones. By 2013, 91 percent of adults in the U.S. owned a mobile phone.

Modern alternatives like Voice over IP, or VoIP, are changing how we use phone numbers. VoIP services allow numbers to be used without being tied to a physical location. This is possible through VoIP porting, which lets a landline number move to a different service. VoIP can be used on many devices, including smartphones, wherever an internet connection is available. This flexibility helps people with remote, mobile, and home working. In the United Kingdom, the analogue copper network is scheduled to be terminated by 2027. Other countries, including France, Germany, and Japan, are also in the process of replacing their traditional networks.

Different countries show very different levels of landline use today. In 2022, 82.9 percent of German households had at least one landline phone. In contrast, 73 percent of U.S. households used only a cell phone in 2022. Australia has also seen a decline, with reports in 2021 showing only 14.5 percent of households used a landline at home. Some nations have already moved past the old systems entirely. Estonia and the Netherlands have retired the legacy parts of the public switched telephone network, or PSTN.