Phone lines

This is regarding “One less call for wired phones; Qwest’s `naked DSL’ means cell phone users no longer must buy traditional service in order to get DSL” (Business, Feb. 26). Tribune staff reporter Jon Van succinctly summarizes the reasons for the decline of fixed lines but omits a powerful reason for retaining fixed lines. During power failures, when connectivity is needed most, cell-phone systems are at their most vulnerable. This is not easy to fix with backup power because of the inherently decentralized design of the system.