AT&T Moves to Dump Landline Phone Service in Illinois

I don't care for wireless phone service. While the portability is convenient, the sound quality is nowhere near equal to a landline phone, and the delay when you're trying to talk to someone drives me crazy. I'd never even consider an internet phone based on how sketchy internet service is. And in the event of a power outage, your phone service is out too.

But, a year or two ago, I dumped our landline phone service at home because it was simply too expensive to have both landline and cell service.

Soon, many Illinois consumers will have no choice when it comes to landline phone service.

According to a Chicago Tribune report, if AT&T has its way 110 year-old landline phone technology will be unplugged in Illinois.

The legacy carrier is pushing legislation in Springfield that, if approved by the Federal Communications Commission, would allow them to unplug landline phones for good, replacing them with internet and wireless phone service only.

The Tribune article reports that "AT&T has 1.2 million traditional landline customers in the state — 474,000 residential and 725,000 business — and is losing about 5,000 each week."

Clearly the viability of maintaining the infrastructure of landline service is decreasing for AT&T, but a great many people still rely on their landline. Like me, they aren't sold on the quality or reliability of both wireless, or internet phone.

If you are one of those folks, you should contact your state representative and let them know you want AT&T to continue to offer landline phone service until they can improve on the reliability and quality of alternative services.