Working Together to Save
Landline Telephones in Maine
Jane Margesson AARP Maine Communications Director
As we all know, Maine is a very rural state and
staying connected, particularly in the winter
months, can be quite challenging. This is
certainly true for the state’s most vulnerable
populations including older Mainers and
those living with mobility concerns. For
at-risk Maine residents, having a reliable,
affordable channel of communication is
essential.
Today, more than 25,000
Maine residents rely solely on
one mode of communication:
Their landline telephone.
Throughout much of Maine,
landlines offer a lower price
and superior call quality
in comparison to wireless
service. Landlines provide
reliable access to medical alert
and alarm systems, increasing
the safety and well-being of isolated Mainers.
Even pacemakers utilize landline service by
sending an electrocardiogram over the phone
to a doctor for review. In short, landline
telephones are lifelines, keeping families and
communities connected to each other and
to important services even when the power
goes out.
and other telecommunications providers
when FairPoint is subject to regulatory
requirements that other providers are not.
AARP Maine believes that all Mainers,
wherever they live, have the right to a reliable
and affordable landline. We hope readers
will consider signing our petition at action.
aarp.org/MELandlines to make their voices
heard and help us protect
landline phones. Readers
can also receive a hard copy
of the petition by mail and
get additional information if
they call our toll-free number:
1-866-554-5380.
While many U.S. households
no longer use landlines and
now rely solely on cellphones,
according to 2013 data
collected by the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention, 6 out of 10 adults — roughly
140 million people — still continue to live in
households with landline phones. A national
survey of Americans 40+ found that 80
percent of those interviewed said they were
not likely to disconnect landline service in
the next 12 month. The top two reasons for
keeping landline service were “security in an
Landlines are in jeopardy in Maine because emergency, power outage, 911 access” and
the state’s largest service provider, FairPoint, “wireless not available/not dependable where
seeks to be relieved of their duty to provide I live.”
basic landline phone service. FairPoint reports
that they are at a competitive disadvantage in Poor reception and unreliability of cell phones
the marketplace compared to wireless, cable is important to consider when it comes to
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WINTER 2016