Marketplace Tech

Your landline might not be there for you when the power goes out


Listen Later

More than 40 percent of Americans still have a landline, at least according to a 2017 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. People keep them for convenience, reliability and emergencies so they can still make calls if the power goes out due to an earthquake, fire or other disaster. But only about 20 percent of households have good old copper phone lines, according to the trade group USTelecom. The rest are digital connections or voice over internet protocol. AT&T has been pushing for almost a decade to drop analog landline service and move to an all-digital network for landlines. Telecom companies say it's a lot cheaper to operate just one network. But are IP phone lines as reliable as the old tech? Molly Wood talks with Joan Engebretson, executive editor at Telecompetitor, an industry publication focused on broadband and telecom.
...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Marketplace TechBy Marketplace

  • 4.5
  • 4.5
  • 4.5
  • 4.5
  • 4.5

4.5

1,236 ratings


More shows like Marketplace Tech

View all
WSJ Tech News Briefing by The Wall Street Journal

WSJ Tech News Briefing

1,650 Listeners

Marketplace Morning Report by Marketplace

Marketplace Morning Report

902 Listeners

Marketplace by Marketplace

Marketplace

8,680 Listeners

Planet Money by NPR

Planet Money

30,845 Listeners

Marketplace All-in-One by Marketplace

Marketplace All-in-One

1,365 Listeners

Freakonomics Radio by Freakonomics Radio + Stitcher

Freakonomics Radio

32,299 Listeners

Here & Now Anytime by WBUR

Here & Now Anytime

1,021 Listeners

The Uncertain Hour by Marketplace

The Uncertain Hour

2,171 Listeners

Make Me Smart by Marketplace

Make Me Smart

5,497 Listeners

Bold Names by The Wall Street Journal

Bold Names

1,438 Listeners

The Indicator from Planet Money by NPR

The Indicator from Planet Money

9,568 Listeners

Today, Explained by Vox

Today, Explained

10,141 Listeners

This Is Uncomfortable by Marketplace

This Is Uncomfortable

3,592 Listeners

The Journal. by The Wall Street Journal & Spotify Studios

The Journal.

5,956 Listeners

Short Wave by NPR

Short Wave

6,273 Listeners

Marketplace Minute by Marketplace

Marketplace Minute

163 Listeners

Million Bazillion by Marketplace

Million Bazillion

2,759 Listeners

How We Survive by Marketplace

How We Survive

1,334 Listeners

Financially Inclined by Marketplace

Financially Inclined

90 Listeners