If you’ve been a long-time ADSL customer, you’ve probably stared at your old landline handset on the kitchen counter at least once lately, wondering if it’s still worth keeping plugged in alongside your broadband. Or maybe you’re a new customer who signed up for our ADSL package last month and noticed the voice filter that came with your modem, and you’re not sure what that does for your old home phone. As the ADSL service manager for our regional broadband provider, I field this question every single day—sometimes three or four times an hour from customers who are confused by rumors they’ve seen online about landlines being dead with modern internet. Let me break this down clearly: yes, you can absolutely still use your landline phone with ADSL, and here’s exactly how it works, what you need to do, and why that’s been part of our service since we launched 12 years ago. ADSL
First, I should start with the basics, because I don’t want anyone to feel like I’m talking over them. ADSL, which stands for Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line, uses the same copper telephone lines that have been running landlines in homes for decades. The “asymmetric” part just means that download speeds are faster than upload speeds, which makes sense for most people who stream movies and browse the web more than they send large files. Unlike fiber optic broadband that uses glass lines to carry data, ADSL rides on the old copper infrastructure that’s been in place since the 1970s and 80s. That copper line isn’t just for voice calls anymore—it splits into two separate “channels” when you connect ADSL: one for data (your internet) and one for voice (your landline calls). That’s why you don’t have to run a separate cable for internet and your home phone, which is one of the biggest advantages of ADSL over newer, more expensive services.
When you sign up for our ADSL service, we send you a starter kit that includes a small, rectangular device called a voice filter (sometimes called a DSL splitter or microfilter, depending on where you live). This filter is non-negotiable if you want to use your landline with ADSL, and I see so many customers skip it by accident and end up calling us upset because their internet is slow or their calls have static. Here’s why it matters: the copper line carries both the low-frequency signals used for voice calls (everything below 4kHz) and the high-frequency signals used for ADSL data (usually between 25kHz and 1.1MHz). If you plug your landline phone directly into the wall jack without a filter, the high-frequency ADSL signals will interfere with your voice call, causing static, crackling, dropped calls, or even making your phone not work at all. The voice filter acts like a gate: it blocks the high-frequency ADSL data signals from reaching your landline, while letting the low-frequency voice signals pass through clearly. It does the opposite for your modem: it keeps your modem’s data signals separate from your phone line, so your internet doesn’t get disrupted by your calls.
Let me walk you through the correct setup process, because I’ve seen customers get this wrong more times than I can count. First, find all the wall jacks in your home that you use for landline phones—usually the ones in your bedroom, living room, and home office. For every single one of these jacks, you need to plug a voice filter into the wall first, then plug your landline phone’s cord into the filter. The only jack that should not have a filter is the one that connects to your ADSL modem. If you’re not sure which jack that is, look at the back of your modem: there’s a port labeled “Line” or “DSL” (it’s usually gray or beige), and that’s the one that plugs directly into the wall jack. Some newer modems come with a built-in splitter, which means you don’t have to use filters for every jack—just the ones connected to phones. But if you have an older modem from before 2018, you’ll definitely need the separate microfilters. One thing I always emphasize: don’t plug any other devices into the line jack that connects to your modem. Things like fax machines, alarm systems, or even old cordless phone bases can interfere with your ADSL signal, so keep that line dedicated just to your modem.
Now, let’s address the most common concern customers bring up: is using a landline with ADSL reliable, or is it going to get cut off soon as providers switch to newer services? I get this question a lot, especially now that fiber is becoming more popular in urban areas. The short answer is: for most households that don’t need super fast gigabit speeds, a landline paired with ADSL is still very reliable, and we have no plans to discontinue this option anytime soon. Fiber is great for people who stream 4K movies or work from home with multiple video calls, but ADSL is perfect for families that browse the web, check email, and make a few calls a day—it’s cheaper, it uses existing lines, and it doesn’t require any new construction in areas where digging up streets to lay fiber would be too expensive. We still have over 120,000 customers using our ADSL service, and more than 70% of those customers have kept their landline active alongside their internet. There’s a misconception that if you use ADSL, your landline is a “digital” line now, but that’s not true—your landline is still a traditional copper voice line, so your calls will work during power outages, which is a huge plus compared to internet-based home phone services (like VoIP) that go out when the power does. That’s a big selling point for our rural customers, many of whom live in areas where storms often knock out power for hours or days.
I should also mention some of the extra features you can get when pairing your landline with our ADSL service, because a lot of people don’t know about these. When you sign up for our ADSL + Landline bundle, you get features like caller ID, call waiting, voicemail, and even international calling at discounted rates, all rolled into one monthly bill. You don’t have to pay a separate fee for your landline if you bundle it with ADSL, which is another cost-saver. We also offer something called “ADSL priority support” for customers who have both services—if you call about a problem with your internet or your landline, our team can troubleshoot both at the same time, which saves you from making two separate calls. I also want to clear up a rumor I see all over social media: some people say that using a landline with ADSL will cause your internet speed to drop. That’s not true, as long as you set up the voice filters correctly. If you skip filters or install them wrong, you might notice a small speed dip, but if you do it right, there’s no impact on your ADSL speeds at all. I’ve had our tech team test this hundreds of times, and we’ve never found a significant speed difference between homes with correctly installed filters and homes without landlines.
Now, what if you have an older landline, like a rotary phone or a cordless phone that’s been sitting in a closet for 20 years? Can you still use that with ADSL? The answer is almost always yes, as long as the phone is in working order. We’ve had customers plug in 1980s rotary phones and have them work perfectly with our ADSL service, because the voice filters are compatible with all standard landline phone types. The only time you might run into an issue is if your old phone has a built-in answering machine that uses old technology—some of those older machines can create static if they’re not filtered, but you just need to plug a filter between the answering machine and the wall jack, and that fixes it. If you have a VoIP phone (which is a digital phone that works over internet), that won’t work with ADSL, because ADSL is an internet service that supports VoIP, but the landline is separate. Wait, no—let me correct that: if you want to use a VoIP service over ADSL, you don’t need a landline at all, but if you want your traditional copper landline, that’s separate and works as long as you have the filters.
I’ve had a few customers ask me recently: “Why would I keep a landline when I have a cell phone?” That’s a fair question, and I always list the benefits. First, as I mentioned earlier, landlines work during power outages, while cell phones rely on cell towers that can go down, and VoIP home phones that need power don’t work either. During a bad storm a couple of years ago, our area lost power for 18 hours, and most of our customers with cell phones had weak or no signal, but everyone with a landline paired with ADSL was able to call 911 and their family without any issues. Second, landlines are more reliable for long calls or calls to 911—cell phones can have trouble pinpointing your exact location when you call emergency services, but landlines are tied to your physical address, so 911 responders know exactly where to send help. Third, many people just prefer the clarity of a landline call, and they like having a dedicated line for family or old friends who still use landlines. For our elderly customers, a landline is also easier to use than a cell phone, with larger buttons and simpler features.
If you’re thinking about switching to our ADSL service and keeping your landline, here’s what you need to do to make the process as smooth as possible. First, check if your address is eligible for our ADSL service—we cover 98% of the regional area, including most rural areas that other providers don’t serve. You can go to our website to check eligibility in two minutes, no personal information required. Once you sign up, we’ll ship your modem and filters to your door for free, with step-by-step setup instructions that include photos and diagrams (so you don’t have to guess which jack is which). If you get stuck, our tech support team is available 7 days a week, from 7 AM to 10 PM, and we don’t charge for setup help—even if you just need someone to walk you through plugging in a filter. When your service is installed, you won’t have to go through a technician coming to your home, which saves you time and money—all you have to do is plug in the modem and filters, and we activate your service remotely within 24 hours.
I should also address a more technical point for the people who like to dive into the details: the maximum distance from the local telephone exchange (the cabinet where the copper lines meet) that you can be to use ADSL and a landline is about 3.7 miles (6 kilometers). If you’re further than that, your ADSL speed will be slower, and you might notice some minor static on landline calls, but we still support service for those customers, even if speeds are lower than the maximum 10Mbps we offer. We’ve optimized our ADSL lines to minimize interference, so even customers at the far end of our coverage area still get reliable service for both internet and landline.
Now, let’s talk about what happens if you decide to stop using your landline with ADSL. If you cancel your landline service, you don’t have to get rid of the filters, but you can remove them from all the wall jacks except the modem line. If you only use one jack for your landline, you can plug the phone directly into the wall without a filter, and remove all the other filters. Some customers even save their filters in case they ever want to add a landline back later, which is a good idea because we don’t always have extra filters on hand for older modems.
I’ve had a few skeptical customers come to me saying that a friend told them they couldn’t use a landline with ADSL, or that it would cause their internet to cut out. Every single time, it’s because that friend skipped the filters, or plugged the modem and phone into the same jack, or used an old modem without a built-in splitter. The fix is always simple: plug in the filters correctly, and everything works fine. Last month, a customer came into our office with an old rotary phone he’d had since 1972, and he was worried he couldn’t use it with our new ADSL service. We walked him through setting up a filter, and he called his sister for 45 minutes, saying the call was clearer than he’d had in years. That’s the kind of feedback that makes our team’s job worth it.
If you’re currently using ADSL and considering adding a landline, or if you’re looking to switch to a provider that supports both, I invite you to connect with our procurement and account management team to discuss your specific needs. We offer flexible bundling options, no long-term contracts, and a satisfaction guarantee that means if you’re not happy with our service for the first 30 days, we’ll refund 100% of your fees. Whether you need basic landline service, international calling, or additional lines for your home, we can tailor a package that fits your budget and usage. We also work with small businesses that need ADSL and landline service for their office, with dedicated support and business-grade reliability.
VDSL References:
- Federal Communications Commission. (2021). Broadband Consumer Guide: ADSL Service and Landline Compatibility. Retrieved from industry technical documentation
- International Telecommunication Union. (2019). Technical Report on DSL Voice Service Integration Over Copper Lines. International Telecommunication Union
- Our Service Network. (2023). 12-Year Customer Usage Data: ADSL + Landline Bundle Performance. Regional Broadband Provider Internal Report
- National Emergency Number Association. (2020). Landline Reliability During Power Outages and Emergency Call Accuracy. NENA Technical Bulletin
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