(necro) Should a landlines have a dial tone if service not active?

[coomarlin]

When I bought my house 6 years ago I never activated the landline. I just used cell phone service instead. Now I'm selling it and set to close next week. The buyer will be using a landline. I borrowed a phone and plugged it but I do not hear a dialtone. Is this normal? I was kind of expecting to hear a dial tone. I figured that if I tried to make a call then I'd get an error message. But in this case I get no dial tone at all. I called the local Telcom (Frontier) and it was a disaster trying to get info from their csr's.

 

[shortylickens]

You should always be able to get 911, even without service.

 

[Fanatical Meat]

did you have fios or another digital service added? Analog phone lines stay on digital ones do not but that doesn't mean they couldn't turn the service on again

 

[SKORPI0]

Dial tone indicates that the phone service is active.
When I moved out of my old place end of Dec. last year, I had the phone company (AT&T) discontinue my service. No dial tone by January 1st.

 

[coomarlin]

No I never had any service at any time there. I used cable internet. It is an older home built in the 50s. It has 2 phone outlets in the entire home and neither of them currently have a dial tone.

 

[Fanatical Meat]

No I never had any service at any time there. I used cable internet. It is an older home built in the 50s. It has 2 phone outlets in the entire home and neither of them currently have a dial tone.

Did you do a triple play bundle and get voice for a while to get a promo price? They may have converted it to a digital line.

 

[Artdeco]

The buyer will get it taken care of when they establish POTS (plain old telephone service), the land line provider will take care of everything, and no, you'll get no dial tone without an active account.

 

[coomarlin]

The buyer will get it taken care of when they establish POTS (plain old telephone service), the land line provider will take care of everything, and no, you'll get no dial tone without an active account.

Thanks. That's what I was hoping to hear. Appreciate it!

 

[tynopik]

You should always be able to get 911, even without service.

not on landlines

if you have no service, it's not connected or powered and you'll get nothing

 

[waggy]

not on landlines

if you have no service, it's not connected or powered and you'll get nothing

not 100% right. some areas they have a "soft tone" requirement. you can dial 911 even without having a landline in service.

 

[tynopik]

interesting
http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/...bout-911-and-disconnected-landlines/index.htm

 

[TwiceOver]

interesting
http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/...bout-911-and-disconnected-landlines/index.htm

My state is on that list. We don't have land line service but in our mechanical room I attached a phone to the wall to use in case of dire emergency (911).

 

[Red Squirrel]

No, it is physically disconnected at the frame in the exchange. Not even 911 will work. Though some places may potentially keep it connected and just disable most/all features at the switch but allow 911 to work, but I can confirm it's not like that everywhere because I'm usually the one that pulls those wires when the regular guy is off. Basically your line goes to a block at the frame, and then is jumpered to another block for the specific port on the phone switch, and possibly DSLAM. That wire is removed so your line goes nowhere.

I'd be hard pressed to find an ISP that wants to take up a port on the switch for a non paying customer, even if it's just for 911 it still takes up space and power in the CO if they end up having to expand and add more line drawer bays.

 

[Imp]

not 100% right. some areas they have a "soft tone" requirement. you can dial 911 even without having a landline in service.

Went to VoIP recently and this was what I heard -- you can do nothing but call 911. Guess it's not everywhere.

 

[Carson Dyle]

When I bought my house 6 years ago I never activated the landline. I just used cell phone service instead. Now I'm selling it and set to close next week. The buyer will be using a landline.

Why are you worried about it? The house has phone wiring, that's all you really know. Let the new owner and/or the telco worry about getting a landline working.

 

[viola_sip]

No, if there's no service available then there will be no dial tone.

 

[shortylickens]

:hmm:

This is only mildly suspicious......

 

[bruceb]

On Verizon, if you are on a copper line, then yes, you will get dial tone even on a non billed line. You will only be able to call 911 or 611 (repair) or 811 (business office) and 0 for the operator. If the service is over FIOS it will not be turned on as that comes over a multiplexer and when it is disconnected it is unprogrammed in the multiplexer or sonet carrier.

 

[Dude111]

Yup they usually leave you a basic dial tone for 911 service.......