# Why Traditional Landlines Worked During Power Cuts 2026-08-06T14:39:17+00:00 | Technology | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Traditional landline phones could keep working during a household or neighbourhood power cut because they drew a small direct-current supply through copper telephone wires from the telephone exchange. The exchange also routed calls between users. If its main electricity supply failed, backup batteries and diesel generators kept the network operating for hours or days, The Hindu reports. This reliability did not extend to many modern home phones, which use fibre broadband or internet calling and depend on powered routers or modems. Traditional landlines often remained useful during storms, floods and other emergencies. The Hindu recalls that a landline helped its newsroom communicate during heavy rains in Chennai in 2023, when mobile networks were unreliable in some areas. ## Coverage - thehindu.com Tags: landlines, power cuts, telecommunications, telephone exchanges Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/why-traditional-landlines-worked-during-power-cuts/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/why-traditional-landlines-worked-during-power-cuts/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.