Jake Ludington's Digital Lifestyle

"Is there a way to use a Lifeline (autodialer) with a cell phone?"

Phillips Lifeline AutoAlert service offers the ability to either provide the push of a single button for dialing or automatic dialing when it detects the wearer has fallen. Currently the Lifeline AutoAlert service requires a traditional landline phone in order to place the outgoing call for help. While I don't know the exact reason Phillips Lifeline lacks support for cell phone dialing, I suspect that reliability is the key.

One of the core reasons services like Lifeline use landline phone connections is reliability. In most homes, a landline phone will always be connected to a phone line for signal and adequate power to guarantee the ability to dial a phone. For very simply phones, the low power signal sent via the phone line itself is enough to make the call possible. Landline phone service almost never goes off line even in a power failure. For a Lifeline type home safety device, where personal health could be at risk if the service failed to work, reliability of service is crucial.

Cell phone signals suffer from signal drop out even if they remain in a fixed location. Cell phones also run the risk of being without adequate power in the event of an emergency. If a Lifeline AutoAlert device were configured to work with a cell phone, there would be increased likelihood of the Lifeline AutoAlert failing in an emergency. Because cell phone service isn't reliable, even though it certainly is more portable, a home safety product like Lifeline with AutoAlert would be far less useful when connected to a cell phone.