What is a Landline? [Definition, Benefits & Best Landline Service]

Even though modern technology has gifted us with mobile phones, landlines are still relevant to how we communicate today. The time of wrapping a phone cord around our fingers or yelling down the hall It’s for you! might be behind us, but the cost-efficient reliability of landline phones is not.

What is a Landline?

Traditionally, a landline is a telephone connection that works on analog technology such as copper wires, or fiber optic cables to complete calls. Essentially, your voice travels along a physical line to connect with the other caller.

As technology has evolved, new types of landline phone services have been introduced, such as voice over internet protocol (VoIP) that works through an internet connection, and wireless landline service that connects to cell towers in your area.

While landline connections were often more reliable, they lacked the flexibility wireless phones offered. As a result, we’ve seen a massive shift away from landline phones due to the growing use of cell phones. Although, it is not entirely necessary.

Cut the cord? Yes. Give up your landline? Well, Community Phone has a better idea.

What is a Landline Number?

A landline phone number is similar to a regular number. Original landline numbers used to rely on copper wires to connect calls. In recent times, landlines numbers have been updated to be digital-based; meaning you can get a VoIP number that allows you to make calls over the internet.

Both options are still available, but technology has advanced further to enable wireless landlines like Community Phone. With wireless landlines, you have the option to use your current phone number or choose a new one. By working off cell towers and making calls over radio waves, they tend to get better and more secure signals.

So, How Do Landline Phones Work?

It’s pretty simple! The two main parts of your phone are the microphone and the speaker.

When you speak into your microphone, the sound of your voice converts into electrical signals that travel along phone lines, the internet connection, or through cellular service to the other caller. Once it reaches them, their phone transmits your electrical signal into sound, so they hear your voice through their speaker. When they talk back, the process repeats!

Benefits of Landlines

1. No Dropped Calls - Most wireless phones depend upon an internet connection to complete calls. But what happens when the internet is down or the signal is weak? Landlines are connected to a base that establishes a secure connection and doesn’t depend on the internet, greatly decreasing the chances of dropping a call.
2. Great Sound Quality - Due to the line-based exchange of landlines, users often report that the sound quality is much clearer. This makes landlines great for long-distance calls since radio waves struggle with long-range transmissions.
3. Work in Power Outages - In a power outage, a corded landline phone continues receiving power from the phone company. Similarly, with wireless landlines like Community Phone, you'll still have an open line of communication as it operates off of cell towers. The only type that will not work in a power outage is a VoIP phone, as it requires an internet connection.
4. Security - Since landline numbers are associated with an exact address, 911 responders can find your location faster. Time is essential in these instances, so having a landline handy could be the thin line between just in time and too late.

Types of Landline Phones

1. Analog

Analog lines are the oldest kind of telephone service. Think back to our explanation of how landlines work: recall that wire carrying your voice. Now, picture it as a few coiled copper wires. When you speak into the microphone, your voice becomes energy. Another part inside your phone called a diaphragm, converts the sound energy of your voice into the electrical energy that vibrates along the copper wires.

This type of landline service is phasing out. Companies are starting to force analog users into contract bundles with hidden fees and complicated cancellation policies. Plus, being tied to your house isn’t ideal. Thankfully, Community Phone has a landline solution that we'll get to in just a bit!

2. Digital

While analog lines rely on physical wires to transfer your information, digital phones do so over the internet. These digital lines are also called VoIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol), internet phones, and broadband phones. Instead of copper wires, these phones connect to the same broadband network as computers and Wi-Fi routers.

With digital landlines, your service only functions when there’s a strong, secure, high-speed internet connection. As a result, you run the risk of dropping calls when an internet connection isn’t strong enough, and anyone who can hack into your server can listen to your calls.

3. Wireless

Wireless landline phones function entirely without wires because calls are made through a cellular network. Perhaps the most notable benefit of wireless calling is that you’re free to move around and aren’t tied to a specific location.

On top of that, the versatility of cellular networks has made them the best option for telecommunication. Instead of relying on a direct connection to a network, the network is all around you, constantly accessible. The functionality of your wireless phone doesn’t depend on an internet connection. Instead, a network connection can give you internet access. And since you’re not connected to a massive network, your data and information are more secure on your personal wireless device.

So what do you do if you want the familiar reliability of a landline with all the benefits of a wireless service? You set up a Community Phone!

Community Phone - The Best Landline Phone Service

Community Phone provides reliable wireless landline phone service that eliminates the need for internet or copper connections. Their wireless landline base connects your phone to local cell towers to provide reliability, excellent call quality, and safety. The company’s partnership with nationwide carriers and the unique design of the landline base ensure you have great connectivity across 99% of the US, including rural and low-reception areas.

Enjoy unlimited nationwide calling, the freedom of wireless access, and several fantastic calling features like spam call blocking, 3-way calling, call routing, call forwarding, call waiting, caller ID, landline texting, and more at affordable prices.

How It Works

The Community Phone landline base connects your home phone to cell towers in your area for a dial tone. The unquestionable reliability of the Community Phone landline, as it does not depend on an internet connection, has made it the best landline phone service for seniors. The built-in antennas on the base amplify signals from mobile towers to ensure great voice quality in low-reception areas.

The 12-hour battery backup on the base ensures your phones continue working during power outages, keeping you connected to emergency services and with loved ones. The ability to work during power outages has been embraced excitedly by their senior customers and has become indispensable to them.

Here’s how you can install the Community Phone landline without a technician’s help:

1. Unwrap your landline base

2. Connect the base to a power outlet. Do not turn on the power yet.

3. Hook your phone to the base with a phone cord.

4. Toggle the ON/OFF switch in the base to the ON position.

5. Wait for 5 mins until the base finishes the setup. Once all the lights on the base turn green, you are ready to make and receive calls on your Community Phone landline.

Outstanding Community Phone Features for Individuals and Businesses

Community Phone is the best wireless landline service provider that combines the reliability of a traditional landline and the freedom of wireless access and offers several VoIP features without the woes of VoIP-based internet phones. Read on to learn more!

Spam Blocker Services

Most landline providers do not offer spam-blocking services, leaving you with no option but to block spam on your phone manually. Manual blocking cannot protect you effectively and efficiently from the relentless attack waged by scammers. Statistics reveal that an average American lost $577 in 2022 to phone scams, a 23% increase from 2021.

Get rid of unwanted calls, and protect yourself, your loved ones, or your business from scams with Community Phone’s spam blocker services. Choose from two services now or get your name added to get first access to upcoming robust additions.

Available Spam Blocking

The Community Phone robocall blocker blocks robocalls before your phone rings. When you enable the built-in spam blocker, it challenges callers to complete an action before connecting the call to your phone. Since robocalls cannot complete the action, they are flagged and blocked before your phone rings.

The Safelist feature allows you to accept calls only from numbers you want and blocks all others without ringing your phone. This feature is ideal for people who are vulnerable to phone scams. You can update this list anytime to add or delete numbers from your allowed list.

Upcoming Additions

Since several people miss legitimate calls fearing spam, Community Phone is working on an iteration to help you block spam and not miss important calls. The Safelist -2 will allow calls from numbers on your allowed list and route all other calls to voicemail. You can respond to the voice messages only if those calls are legitimate.

The Blocklist is a more robust spam blocker that blocks spam numbers based on an ever-growing spam database and the number’s spam score. You can contribute actively to the blocklist to ensure you protect yourself and other Community Phone members.

Caller ID

Opt for the caller ID feature to show your name or number when you make an outbound call. By default, the recipient of your call will see your number, but you can have Community Phone enable your caller ID to show your name when you call by filling out this form.

This feature helps loved ones recognize and engage with you without blocking or ignoring your calls as spam.

If you are a business owner, this feature is of paramount importance to your business, with neighbor spoofing being one of the scam trends. Get Community Phone to enable the caller ID to show your business name and number to build trust in your customers and encourage them to engage with your business.

Landline Texting

Engage with your loved ones or colleagues and employees with the landline texting feature from Community Phone. You can send unlimited texts from your Community Phone landline to any number of your choice. 2-way messaging lets you see the recipient’s message and continue the conversation with them.

If you are a business, you can use this feature to send personalized greetings and wishes to customers on special occasions, collect feedback, remind them of appointments or meetings, and share information on offers and discounts. Opt for landline texting over bulk messaging to build rapport with your customers, create a connection, and build customer loyalty.

3-way Calling

Engage with more than one caller simultaneously with the Community Phone 3-way calling feature. Use this feature to have a conference call with your colleagues, team, or employees to collaborate effectively when working from home instead of relying on calling apps.

Do not lose out on precious moments with your loved ones by using unreliable calling apps, or relying on internet bandwidth. Use the Community Phone 3-way calling for seamless interaction with loved ones on the same call.

Call Forwarding

Forward calls from your Community Phone landline to another number of your choice when you cannot answer calls from your landline. Community Phone offers several options to forward your calls - temporary, unconditional, conditional forwarding, and forwarding without a phone.

You can turn on call forwarding on your Community Phone landline by pressing **21*1 and turn it off by pressing ##21#.

Talk to Community Phone customer support to enable unconditional forwarding, conditional forwarding, and forwarding without a phone.

Community Phone Customer Privileges

Apart from being a wireless service provider benefitting thousands of Americans who want phones without internet, here are other benefits Community Phone members enjoy:

Unlimited nationwide calling and text: Stay in touch with loved ones, business associates, employees, and customers across the US with Community Phone's unlimited talk and text. Utilize the unlimited time to launch marketing campaigns, engage with your customers, get their pulse, and decrease churn without a massive long-distance bill.

No internet needed: The Community Phone landline base works off cell towers without tying your phone to the internet. Since your phones are not dependent on the internet, they will continue working during an internet outage or maintenance.

Number choice: You can get a new local number FREE when you sign up with Community Phone. You can also transfer your existing number through their unique hand-held porting process.

Get a toll-free number to encourage customers to call you for assistance or tie them with your marketing campaigns to gauge their effectiveness. Get a vanity number to help your customer remember your number easily and bring in referrals.

Talk to a Community Phone specialist to learn more about the different numbers and to get one!

Zero-cost Installation: The landline base does not require a technician to install it. You or anyone in your business or household can install your Community Phone landline in under 30 seconds and be ready to make calls in 5 mins.

24/7 reliable customer support: Contact Community Phone customer support via phone, email, and live chat 24/7 to experience world-class support from live agents. Glowing customer reviews on BBB and Trustpilot are testimonials of their commitment to their customers.

No hidden charges: At Community Phone, you pay what you signed up for. They do not bundle your service or charge you exorbitant equipment fees. You will not see unexplained charges crop up on your bill, nor will you have to knock on customer support’s door to get these charges waived.

14-day FREE trial: Try the Community Phone landline service for 14 days FREE without obligation. You can cancel anytime without jumping through hoops if you think this is not for you.

Conclusion

At Community Phone, they believe that home is where your landline is. This is because a landline phone is the most dependable way to keep in touch with the people who matter most. Make dropped calls and misheard messages a thing of the past with the Community Phone landline service.