Traditional copper wire (POTS) landline service is not available in Merced, CA. Community Phone allows you to keep your landline phone without internet or copper wire.

In fact, Community Phone is the only landline phone service in Merced, CA that does not require internet. Other service providers such as Spectrum, AT&T, and Verizon require an internet connection or a bundle package with cable or internet.

Landline phone service usage in Merced is alive and well. Nearly 2/3rds of people over the age of 65 still use a landline. 10.3% of Merced's 83,676 people are over the age of 65, which means about 5,602 senior citizens in Fountain City still use landlines. Additionally, according to recent Pew Research data, 20% of seniors don't have any cell phone at all, meaning that 1,724 Merced residents completely rely on landlines for their phone service.

Many landline alternatives require internet, but that's not an option for many Merced residents. 10.40% of Merced's 26,626 households do not have the internet at all, which means 2,769 households can't use internet-based landline service.

According to survey results from Pew Research, "25% of people 65+ report never going online". That means that 2,155 seniors in Merced don't want their primary phone service tied to their internet, even if they do have internet.

Community Phone works by connecting the landline phones of Merced residents to cell towers. And Merced is well-covered by cell towers; there are several cell towers in Merced, covering 23 square miles. Cell towers have excellent coverage within a 5-mile radius, so there are plenty of cell towers in Merced to provide strong coverage across the city. Community Phone serves every inch of Merced, not just the most populated zip codes like 95340, 95341, 95348, .