A landline is a telephone connected by physical wires. It carries voice over copper or fiber. It does not rely on radio signals. It works during power outages if the line is powered by the central office. Landlines were the only phone service for a century. Now they are declining.

Landlines use the public switched telephone network. They are circuit-switched. A dedicated path opens for each call. The sound quality is reliable. Latency is low. But landlines lack features like texting, video, and apps. Many households have dropped them for mobile phones.

Landline characteristics

• Wired connection: copper or fiber
• Circuit-switched: dedicated path
• Reliable: works in power outages
• Limited features: voice only
• Declining: replaced by mobile and VoIP

Landlines still matter. Rural areas with poor mobile coverage rely on them. Businesses use them for fax and alarms. Older adults prefer them. But telecom companies are phasing them out. The copper network is expensive to maintain. Fiber and VoIP are the future. The landline is a legacy.