BTC News

The Benefits of the Landline Telephone

Posted: Nov 6, 2009

By:  Robby Thomas

NAHUNTA - The Brantley County Board of Commissioners recently authorized the purchase of a $278,000  computer-aided dispatch system for Next Generation 9-1-1 and hopes to have it fully operational by November 23, 2009.

According to Brantley EMA Director Billy Lartz, the system is “further advanced than the systems currently in place in Pierce, Wayne, Charlton and Ware counties” and, if called by landline, the system can immediately tell the  operator from where exactly a call is placed.  If called by a cellular phone, however,  the system will only initially be able to determine what tower the caller is  closest to – which could be miles away. 
 
According to the National Emergency  Number Association, or NENA, access to 9-1-1 from cell phones is very different from wired phones and varies greatly across the country. In areas where 911 centers have not been updated to the latest technology, life-threatening problems exist due to lost response time if callers cannot talk or do not know where they  are.
 
MSNBC.com recently published an article telling the tragic  story of a husband, wife and 15-year-old  daughter who were found murdered in  their home.  Authorities knew when the family had been killed because  they received a 9-1-1 call, but were not able to help them in time because the  call had been placed from a cellular phone and they could not locate  them.
 
Brantley County has plans to upgrade its system further in  2010 to track cell phones to their nearest physical location, but beware.   The accuracy of location data generally drops in rural areas, where  older, less-advanced cell towers can be farther apart, according to the Congressional Research Service in a background report to lawmakers in 2008.
 
NENA recommends that every household have a centrally located, easily accessible landline for emergency calls.  Brantley  Telephone Company customers understand there are many more advantages to the service, as well. 

The landline also offers crystal clear communication.  Brantley County is very rural and the cellular companies have not exactly blanketed our community with exceptional coverage.  If you enjoy walking out into your front yard to take a call, then maybe it is not an issue.  But, what if it’s raining?

As a matter of fact, what if there is severe weather and the power goes out?  Your landline telephone keeps working.  Your wireless phone works until it needs to be charged and then?  It’s dead.

Looking for a phone number?  BTC proudly provides our customers with a directory listing updated annually.  Ask your wireless provider for one of those and see what answer you get.

Do you have a home alarm system?  Do you order pay-per-view on television?  Those services require a landline phone.

Do you use the Internet?  There are services out there that will let you access the Internet without a telephone line into your home, but compare them to ours.  Their speeds cannot compete and BTC’s reliability is unmatched.  Our local, personalized customer service is also a point of pride, as well.  Feel free to stop by and deal with us face-to-face in our BTC Business Office in Nahunta.

A nationwide trend shows landline telephone customers migrating to wireless phones.  For many, it is an attempt to save money each month because they are paying two phone bills.  BTC understands the need to save money.  That is why we focus on providing quality services at fair prices.  BTC has created value-added bundles to give our customers ways to get the most out of their BTC accounts. 

BTC believes in the continuing value of the landline telephone, but we also understand the landscape is changing.  That is why our customers will see continued efforts to improve our other products, as well, such as BTC Internet, BTC Wireless and, soon, Internet Protocol Television.  We appreciate the opportunity to serve you and thank you for your business.