how-to block ads
|
|
Uniqs:
269 |
Share Topic
 |
 |
|
|
 maartenaElmoPremium
join:2002-05-10
Orange, CA
kudos:1
 ·AT&T U-Verse
 ·DIRECTV
1 edit | Earthquakes.... We had a 5.8 earthquake in the LA area about 2 months ago, and the FIRST thing that happened, was that all cell phone traffic was overloaded, because everyone was attempting to make the "are you OK" calls to their friends and family.
I had the same thing, could not get a hold of my wife. Picked up a LANDline at work, dialed the LANDline at home, and everything worked fine....
If people need to reach 911 in a time of need - such as right after an earthquake where you may have been wounded - cell phones only are useless. If you don't have a landline, your pretty much screwed for at least an hour or two until things calm down.
Now mind you, the earthquake could be bad enough that it also damages the land lines, but most landlines should continue to work anywhere up to a 7.0 quake or so, even IF it shuts down power. (At least, it has proven to do so in the past, most CO's have backup power for anywhere to three to six hours).
Also, if you make an international call - such as to Europe - you really don't want to do that on a cell phone. First off, most providers actually charge you something like $5 extra just to have the international calling feature on your phone, and then they charge you insane rates of up to a dollar a minute to call to Europe, where with a landline and a good LD provider, I get 3 or 4 cents a minute to europe right now, and I call The Netherlands and the UK a lot.
--
Obama 2008 - Because McCain is more of the same! | |
| said by maartena:Also, if you make an international call - such as to Europe - you really don't want to do that on a cell phone. First off, most providers actually charge you something like $5 extra just to have the international calling feature on your phone, and then they charge you insane rates of up to a dollar a minute to call to Europe, where with a landline and a good LD provider, I get 3 or 4 cents a minute to europe right now, and I call The Netherlands and the UK a lot. This is an instance where Skype comes in very handy. Some of the best rates around... not to mention that if the other individual has Skype it is free. | |
| reply to maartena
Two things:
1. I don't know about all carriers, but there's no fee to get international calling added to an AT&T cell. The rates are insane, but there are calling cards that help with that, or you can just use Skype.
2. I don't have a landline, but I have naked DSL, and, in my area, I have 911 service on the line into my house, even though I can't make or receive calls to any other numbers. So, even without a landline, I can still use the landline infrastructure to call for help if I need to. | |
 wifi4milezBig Russ, 1918 to 2008. Rest in Peace
join:2004-08-07
New York, NY | said by ISurfTooMuch:2. I don't have a landline, but I have naked DSL, and, in my area, I have 911 service on the line into my house, even though I can't make or receive calls to any other numbers. So, even without a landline, I can still use the landline infrastructure to call for help if I need to. That means you do have a landline, which is good. I dont think anyone is arguing that you must have local dialtone (although you might as well), but at least being able to dial 911 puts you in a much better position if something were to go wrong.
--
If history teaches us anything, it teaches that simple-minded appeasement or wishful thinking about our adversaries is folly.
-Ronald Reagan-
| |
 funchordsHelloPremium,MVM
join:2001-03-11
Yarmouth Port, MA
kudos:5 | reply to maartena
said by maartena:If people need to reach 911 in a time of need - such as right after an earthquake where you may have been wounded - cell phones only are useless. If you don't have a landline, your pretty much screwed for at least an hour or two until things calm down. And 9-1-1 is not any better. The public outnumbers operators 20,000 to 1. 9-1-1 is not your lifeline after an earthquake, which is what Emergency Planners have been telling you for years. Prepare to survive for 3 days without any help whatsoever. Learn first-aid. Keep supplied.
--
Robb Topolski -= funchords.com =- Hillsboro, Oregon
More features, more fun, Join BroadbandReports.com, it's free...
| |
|
