Bbbbbbbbbuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu

So, I haven't had a land line for almost 10 years now.  It was a scary change when I did it.  I moved over to Sprint, who had a paltry coverage area and I just relied on no one really needing to get a hold of me.

I remember how I used to dial a land line- you pick up the phone and there's a dial tone- bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu.  Evidently, it's  "F" note (F above middle C). Anyway, once you got the dial tone, you'd dial the number.

But nowadays with all the pre-programmed numbers and change in dialing, you don't need to listen for the dial tone.  Often you go pick the number from your contact list and dial it.  Or you say "Call Mom" or you pick up your handset, enter the numbers, then click the "Dial" button.  You skip needing the dial tone at all.

Granted, there are lots of different types of dial tones:  the call waiting dial tone, the line-busy dial tone, the exchange transfer dial tone (well, that's more of a click, but you get the idea), the call-disconnected dial tone, etc.

In fact, the satellite phones (GSM) that are used in Europe don't even have a dial tone at all.

It's quite strange.

But it made me stop to think:  how much longer will we even have dial tones?  The original purpose was to give the caller the signal that the line was connected and a call could be made once they replaced operator-connected calls.  But is that needed now?

I think that the only time I ever check to make sure there's a dial tone, is when I move into a new house or a new office and I want to make sure that the phone works- the first time.

But since the lines are more digital than analog now, why send the tone?  Why not just have a "Ping" button on your phone if you're curious if there's a connection- just like you'd ping the server on your computer?

It just makes you wonder.