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NJ Town Does Away With Landlines Completely after Sandy


May 7, 2013 | Andy Cush

After the town of Mantoloking, New Jersey was devastated by Hurricane Sandy last year, its citizens decided at least one thing wasn’t worth rebuilding: its telephone lines. The plan seems extreme at first, but when is the last time you actually picked up a landline phone and made a call (incoming calls don’t count)? I’ll wait.

In case some residents aren’t hip to the brave new cellular world, Mantoloking provided a backup plan: Verizon Voice Link, which connects home phones to that provider’s wireless network. In addition to negating the cost of rebuilding, the all-wireless plan will also keep the town more resilient in the event of another storm, as phone service won’t be at the mercy of poles and cables.

(Photo: CG Hughes/Flickr)