For anyone out there who relies on the phone to get things done knows power outages are gut-wrenching. The sudden loss of communication, dreadful inconvenience, and sudden panic can leave you and your loved ones in the dark. What if seniors seek medical help urgently?
Philadelphia, with a population of 1.6 million, sadly is among the top 10 cities in the US with the risk of increase in power outages, including in the most popular zip codes such as 19120, 19111, and 19124.
As most Philadelphia phone lines and telephone systems require electricity, users experience a misbehaving phone line as the power runs out. But don’t worry, as this guide explains how you can check and report phone lines are down in Philadelphia.
Further, we’ll explore Community Phone, a reliable phone service provider whose phones remain functional even during power outages. It offers a battery-backed Community Phone base device packing a 12-hour backup to ensure power outages don’t cut off your communications.
With that said, let’s dive in.
How to Check If Your Phone Line is Down in Philadelphia
If you hear no dial tone on your phone when placing a call, your phone line might be down due to a power outage or another technical issue. When you hear no dial tone, ensure the phone cable is connected correctly to your telephone and wall outlet. Be sure to first hang up an ongoing call before trying this method.
To verify your phone line is down, check a power outage map such as PECO. It is an excellent online service that gives you an overview of unavailable phone lines to help you determine if yours is down.
Landline Usage Stats in Philadelphia
Many Philadelphian think mobile phones have replaced landlines and eliminated their demand. It’s true to some extent, but only copper-wired landlines are fading away due to their outdated communication protocol that doesn’t boast a good price value anymore.
For instance, copper landlines are expensive to install and maintain, but they’re poor in terms of bandwidth and efficiency. With that at hand, internet-based VoIP and cellular landlines are trending as they’re based on newer technology.
As VoIP landlines require a complicated wire-based setup, wireless cellular landlines are the most popular solution among users. Data reveals over 40.9% of Philadelphia residents keep landlines. The percentage of senior Philadelphia residents (55 or more) owning a landline is much higher at 54.7%. It’s easy to say landlines are still widely used in Philadelphia.
How to Report Phone Lines Are Down in Philadelphia
How to report a phone line outage in your city depends on your landline provider. Below we’ll see how to report AT&T and Verizon phone line outages in Philadelphia.
1. How to Report AT&T Outage in Philadelphia
To report AT&T’s unavailable phone line, visit its troubleshooting page and click Scan and Repair. Next, select the option Report a problem with your AT&T Home Phone and follow the given instructions to report your AT&T phone line is down.
Alternatively, you can call AT&T’s call center via its phone number: (800) 288-2020.
2. How to Report Verizon Outage in Philadelphia
The simplest way to report a Verizon outage in Philadelphia is by visiting its support center on the official website. This support center gives you three ways to reach Verizon’s landline experts, including live chat over the website, social media conversation, and a phone call.
You can choose any option you prefer. Let Verizon’s support agent know your phone line is down, whichever option you pick, so it can be cared for.
Phone Number: 800.837.4966
How to Report a Power Outage in Philadelphia
Power outages are the leading cause of unavailable phone lines in Philadelphia, as most phone lines and telephones require power. If you’re sure a power outage has cut off your landline communications, consider filing a telephone pole or wire complaint to the relevant authority. It could be your landline service provider itself.
You can report a power outage in Philadelphia by calling (800) 494-4000.
Stay Connected During Power Outages With Community Phone
Don’t let power outages cut off your communications by investing in a landline provider that doesn’t require electricity. Community Phone offers phone service in Philadelphia that offers wireless phones based on cellular networks.
Unlike most landlines, it doesn’t require an internet or copper cable connection to work, meaning no electricity is needed. So, as long as a nearby phone tower works, you can communicate with your loved ones over the Community Phone’s service.
Further, Community Phone’s base device packs a 12-hour battery backup to ensure your communications aren’t affected. Simply put, Community Phone gives you peace of mind, knowing you never have to worry about power outages disturbing your phone calls ever again.
How to Get Community Phone Service That Works During a Power Outage?
Follow these steps to set up Community Phone’s power outage-proof phone at your home or office:
Step 1: Contact Community Phone Customer Support
Reaching Community Phone’s support service is your best first step. Simply place a call at (866)-340-6256 and let Community Phone’s specialist know you want to set up its phone service. The representative will ask for relevant details like your address and guide you on the procedure.
Step 2: Check Your Address for Coverage
As you speak to Community Phone’s agent regarding getting a connection, they’ll check your address for coverage. Thankfully, Community Phone covers 99% of the United States, so it shouldn’t be an issue.
Also, Community Phone has partnered with top carriers across the US to ensure strong cellular network coverage even in the most rural areas. On top of that, its base device carries two practical built-in antennas to ensure good signal strength even if the phone tower is far from your place.
Step 3: Select Your Desired Plan
Once you ensure Community Phone operates in your area, it’s time to decide on its plans. Community Phone's household plan will best suit you if you want to set up a home phone at your home. It packs essential phone features for households at an economical cost.
But if you’re a small business, Community Phone’s business phone plan will be preferable. It gives you more flexibility on what phone numbers you can pick, as you can decide between local and toll-free numbers. Also, its business plan includes various advanced calling features to help class up your support service and internal communications.
Step 4: Your Community Phone Base Is In the Mail
Once you pick a plan and deposit the payment for the Community Phone base, the base device will be sent out. It will arrive activated within a few days. As you receive it, make your first payment to start your Community Phone’s home phone service subscription!
Popular Neighborhoods in Philadelphia
Below are the most popular neighborhoods in Philadelphia.
- Old City
- Fishtown
- Chestnut Hill
- Manayunk
- Fairmount
- Washington Square West
- Northern Liberties
- East Falls
- Society Hill
- Fitler Square
- Center City
- Southwest Center City
- Rittenhouse Square
- University City
- Passyunk Square
- Queen Village
- Roxborough
- Bustleton
- Logan Square
- Point Breeze
- Fox Chase
- Bella Vista
- Kensington
- South Philadelphia
- Callowhill
- Brewerytown
- Northwest Philadelphia
- East Passyunk Crossing
- Spruce Hill
- Cedar Park
- Spring Garden
- Center City East
- Pennsport
- Mount Airy
- West Philadelphia
- Wissahickon
- Francisville
- Hawthorne
- Somerton
- Newbold
- Dickinson
- Narrows
- Northeast Philadelphia
- Wharton
- Rhawnhurst
- Grays Ferry
- North Philadelphia West
- Bridesburg
- Port Richmond
- Midtown Village
- Whitman
- Olney
FAQs
How do you find out if there is a Verizon outage in my area?
To find out if there is a Verizon outage in your area, sign in to My Verizon from its official website. If the phone line outage in your area has already been identified, you’ll notice a Network Notification alert on the website. If there’s no such alert, start a chat and enter Network Outage to stay up-to-date with information regarding the outage.
Why does my phone line have no service?
Power outages are the main reason for no service on your phone line, as traditional telephone systems and landlines require power. In such a case, consider contacting your phone provider and reporting the outage to have it fixed as soon as possible.
Is there any landline that works during power outages?
Many wireless landlines don’t require power to work and work during power outages. One such home phone service is Community Phone. its Community Phone base device packs a 12-hour battery backup to ensure its landline remains operational during power outages.
Final Words
If your phone line is unavailable, it’s probably because of a power outage or another technical issue from your provider’s end. To overcome the phone line unavailability, report it to your landline service through phone or website and wait for them to fix it.
PECO lets you track outages in your area to help you verify your phone lines are down in Philadelphia.
We recommend switching to a wireless phone service that doesn’t require power to overcome frequent phone line unavailability issues. Community Phone is an excellent solution as it offers a powerful home phone service that works up to 12 hours without power for an affordable cost. CLICK HERE to get started at Community Phone today!