>only permit calls to be made to an adult-controlled set of numbers timezones and “awake/asleep” schedules, to avoid calling Europe at their 1am prevent inbound calls entirely

This is interesting. Was there a serious issue while using a regular landline?

As a former toddler myself, I think that the worst I got up to was calling the radio station and giving bad traffic tips.

My overseas family had such a long number, stored in a book in my grandmothers handwriting, that theres little chance I would have connected and woken them up.

Is this designed to counter a specific threat model?

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mrweasel 8 hours ago | parent | next [-]

> Was there a serious issue while using a regular landline?

So a few other issues with landlines, in other countries:

1) Crazy expensive.

2) You can't sign-up for one anymore.

3) They may no longer be available. The cables have already been removed in some parts of Denmark.

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miki123211 7 hours ago | parent | next [-]

In a lot of places a "landline" is:

a) a phone using the ITU protocols, connecting to the router over ATM, or

b) a straight up SIP / VOIP phone which just happens to be operated by your ISP, but which could, in principle, work anywhere, as long as it was connected to the internet, or

c) a cell phone in a landline-like enclosure, perhaps with a carrier-side restriction that prevents its SIM card from working outside its intended local area.

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mrweasel 7 hours ago | parent [-]

That is pretty interesting, because I figured that maybe that would solve my issue of trying to get a cheap "landline". Sadly no. My ISP also doesn't want to do VOIP. They have the product, but doesn't sign up new customers.

	▲	protocolture 6 hours ago \| parent [-]
		Voip is a classic loss maker for ISPs. Right up there with email servers and DNS. It increases their attack surface and support costs without any real bottom line benefit. I suspect I will be adding IPTV to that list in 5 years too.

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protocolture 6 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

For arguments sake lets include voip in there under landline.

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dwedge 4 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

> My overseas family had such a long number, stored in a book in my grandmothers handwriting, that theres little chance I would have connected and woken them up.

The article is about a phone with one button per person, so the thing that stopped you from doing this is not applicable. You now have a toddler who can press a button whenever they want and dial someone - you don't see how a child who doesn't understand timezones etc. might cause a problem here?

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kimixa 12 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

... Do you not see a toddler dialing random numbers as anything but a nuisance to the people whose numbers they happened to dial? Or waste emergency services' time? (their numbers are intentionally easy to dial, and likely more recognisable being repeated in media even to the young after all)

It feels like you're forcing other people to take the effort of dealing with your child in that situation.

	▲	protocolture 11 hours ago \| parent [-]
		There's another thread here where they are talking about the necessity to make emergency services numbers available anyway, because kids are often the people who make the crucial phone call when a parent has an accident. And its doubtful that the parent is going to collapse, push an ansible update to his project, and then have the kid dial emergency. Theres potential for nuisance, but not one that seemed like a big threat for that whole period where toddlers routinely had access to phones. I asked because I am interested in whats happening, maybe they have a unique situation/environment that requires this. Maybe they have phone jockey kids who mastered the technique.