A landline, or fixed line, is telephone service provided to a subscriber via cable or wire, i.e. metal conductors or optical fiber. The term differentiates a telephone service from the now ubiquitous wireless service.
Landline phones use traditional copper wiring and wall jacks to make and receive voice calls, whereas VoIP phone service utilizes a broadband internet connection through a modem and corded or cordless phone.
Despite cell phones’ supremacy, landline phones have many benefits, including lower costs, superior sound quality and reliable communication with 911 operators.