Until they figure out how to get an ambulance to my house via my cell phone, I'll have a landline simply for E-911.

Of course, I'm a "silly old man" in my 40s...

it's done already. verizon for one won't activate a cell that isn't GPS enabled. call 911 on your cell & the operator has your coordinates. very few non-gps cells still around.

Not the sames as POTs. Every land line is backed up by 8 hour battery at the local remote and then when that is gone, they run a generator out to keep it powered. The problem is that our house phones are not black phones anymore, they too require power...

I wouldn't place so much faith in E911. The big advantage of E911 is that it will connect you to the closest 911 call center. Other than that, it's not terribly reliable as a means of determining coordinates.

The GPS is very basic (we're not talking SiRF or any differential correction) and wont work in doors. In this case, the unit will simply triangulate off of cell towers which is inherently inacurate, as most locations only have a single tower.

Basically, even with E911 service you'll still have to tell the operator where you are.

What you mean the guy in Bangalore taking my call won't know where my street is??

All phone numbers are logged into the switches, they know exactly where you are calling from when you use a landline.