Still have a landline in NJ? It’s being phased out

At the end of 2022, 73% of Americans lived in a home without a landline. They are wireless only. And since that figure tripled from 2010 to 2022 you can bet that percentage is even higher now.

Because of changing technology and expense, and decreasing demand, phone providers are very close to phasing them out completely. You may soon not have a choice.

In fact, according to cnn.com California just applied for a waiver to be allowed to stop servicing traditional landlines there.

The old landlines work on copper and service providers are replacing old copper wire-based phone systems with faster, more advanced technology that doesn’t work with landlines. These changes are happening not only across the U.S. but in France and the UK.

An AT&T spokesperson said, “We are focused on enhancing our network with more advanced, higher speed technologies like fiber and wireless, which consumers are demanding.”

Phone service providers in the U.S. are required to offer customers an alternative to landlines and use technology to convert analog signals to digital, either with fiber optic cables or wireless technology, like LTE/5G.

It’s been estimated by 2030 only 5% of landlines will remain. The clock is ticking.

I think the last time I had a landline was 2003. Well, that’s the last time I had a landline phone. I did have landline service in Hillsborough 10 years ago but only because of a three-in-one price bundle that made everything cheaper. I never even bought a phone to plug into that landline service. Couldn’t even tell you what that phone number was. I’ve only used cell phones for 21 years.

You still have time. It’s not like the phone gestapo is kicking your door in. Just know your landline phone’s days are numbered. It will soon be hanging out with VCRs and typewriters in technology heaven.

Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Jeff Deminski only.

You can now listen to Deminski & Doyle — On Demand! Hear New Jersey’s favorite afternoon radio show any day of the week. Download the Deminski & Doyle show wherever you get podcasts, on our free app, or listen right now.

Click here to contact an editor about feedback or a correction for this story.