do I need a landline?

[badger]

I'm not sure if I still need it. Nobody ever calls me, and the issue of 911 is not as bad as it was before where you call from a cell phone and say I couldn't speak or got disconnected, they can still pin-point where the call came from.

I've had this number for 20 years now, so for some strange reason I'm having a hard time letting it go. It's only $20/mo (grandfathered, it's now $30) but that's still $240 a year that I don't need to be spending. Deadline for me to cancel for this month is Jan. 23...

[jessmarimba]

I have never had a landline as an adult. Though apparently if I wanted one, I would have more internet choices. That would be my only reason for getting one (personally).

[Pax]

We haven't had a land line in years; it was hard to give up our old number since we'd had it for 15+ years. But when I realized we were paying $350 a year so telemarketers could bug us and weird "wrong numbers" could interrupt our dinner/sleep/shower/etc. it was a no-brainer.

[OakLeaf]

I *think* you can now port landline numbers to cell phones.

I still have a landline, just because out in the sticks the only internet we can get is DSL. I use it to call out sometimes when the cell signal is iffy. And it's nice to be able to call the answering machine when I'm away and there's a storm or whatever, just to make sure the electric is on.

If you've got good strong signal inside your house and cable or satellite or wireless 'net, I don't know why you'd need a landline.

[ny biker]

I have a landline because on 9/11/01 you could not get a cell signal. After the earthquake we had last August, you could not get a cell signal, either, and text messages were iffy.

It's an insurance policy.

Also if the electricity goes out for an extended period, I will still have a phone to use without requiring a battery recharge. I keep an old non-cordless phone in a drawer near the phone jack, and I plug it in when the power goes out. It's a Verizon line, so I don't lose it when the cable goes out.

[shootingstar]

I'm not sure if I still need it. Nobody ever calls me, and the issue of 911 is not as bad as it was before where you call from a cell phone and say I couldn't speak or got disconnected, they can still pin-point where the call came from.

I've had this number for 20 years now, so for some strange reason I'm having a hard time letting it go. It's only $20/mo (grandfathered, it's now $30) but that's still $240 a year that I don't need to be spending. Deadline for me to cancel for this month is Jan. 23...


We're the opposite, we don't have cell phone subscriptions at all.
Most likely Badger, you have different phone use habits than I do. So your decision will be different.

[smilingcat]

We got rid of land line also known as POTs line (plain old telephone).

We have 3G/4G coverage where we live and our telephone is VoIP. Internet phone. When I switched over, I had my land line transferred onto VoIP.

I don't know if the regulations have changed or not, it used to be that telephone needed to have battery back up to last for at least 48 hours after loss of power. The battery was the responsibility of the phone company and not you. This is why when the power goes out, your plain old telephone kept working. Cell phones do not seem to have this requirement. I don't know... You can also overwhelm regular telephone line in times of emergency, it isn't any different than cell phone. Its just that people are so used to going to cell first. So its the first one to get overwhelmed.

If you really don't use the land line, maybe its time to think of cancelling. But do keep in mind one thing. If you have DSL connection, you will need to have "naked DSL" otherwise, you will lose DSL when you cancel your telephone service.

I'm happy with my Ooma VoIP service. Pay once few years ago and that was it.

[ACG]

I have a landline because on 9/11/01 you could not get a cell signal. After the earthquake we had last August, you could not get a cell signal, either, and text messages were iffy.

It's an insurance policy.

Also if the electricity goes out for an extended period, I will still have a phone to use without requiring a battery recharge. I keep an old non-cordless phone in a drawer near the phone jack, and I plug it in when the power goes out. It's a Verizon line, so I don't lose it when the cable goes out.

Like NY biker for me it's an insurance policy.

On Nov.30/Dec. 1 here in Pasadena we had a windstorm, 100 mph winds, uncommon for sure. Trees down, roofs blown off, my fence blew down and garage door caved in.

No power for almost 5 days. Cell towers down or busy. No way to charge cell phones except your cars. I had a landline and pulled out my old fashioned plug into the wall phone. Viola! All my neighbors and most of my family were stuck.

I'm keeping my so in case or when the big earthquake hits, I can be the SoCal contact person in my family. (oh and the Zombi Apocalpyse too)

If you feel personally that you won't have a need for it, then don't waste your money.

[Blueberry]

If you really want to keep the number:

Port it to a pre-paid cell phone or your current cell with a 2nd line.

The port it to google voice ($20 charge).

You can then set it up to ring your cell phone (free - except for minutes) and the $20 is a one time charge.

[OakLeaf]

Then again, there have been many instances (most recently during Hurricane Irene) where landline service went out but cell networks were mostly intact.

Redundancy always gives you another level of assurance, but it's not like landlines are necessarily more reliable than cell service. It is good to have a solar charger and/or battery backup - really, it's good to have more comprehensive backup home power (phone service doesn't seem so important if you don't have heat or water).

[GLC1968]

really, it's good to have more comprehensive backup home power (phone service doesn't seem so important if you don't have heat or water).

This was our feeling. We lose power during a storm, flooding is a more urgent concern than phone service for us.

We held onto our land line in NC due to DSL internet. When we moved here, we opted for cable internet, so we didn't get a land line phone. Haven't missed it even once.

[Penny4]

I keep my landline because i hate having long conversations on my cell phone. But I have definitely thought about cutting it loose...maybe at least switch it over to IP phone and bundle it with cable, etc to save a bit.
If i work from home and have to join a conference call, it is just so much easier on a land line than my cell...

[ny biker]

If i work from home and have to join a conference call, it is just so much easier on a land line than my cell...

Agreed. Also no worries about battery life.

[badger]

I believe I don't need a landline for my internet as I have all my services from one company and I've already asked if I can just cancel my landline and they didn't say anything about it affecting my internet.

I haven't thought about the battery issue, but my cordless phone has crappy batteries that only seem to last about a year and I have to go on a hunt to buy them as they're old.

So yeah, maybe it's time to let it go. I won't need to get a second line on my cell phone, I'm only reluctant to let it go for sentimental reasons, I think. Like I said, nobody ever calls me :p

[bmccasland]

Guess it depends on your comfort level. Like NY Biker said, if you lose electricity, you'll lose the ability to charge a cell phone. In emergencies - large geographic ones - cell towers go down, get clogged, and otherwise become disfunctional. Happens along the Gulf coast during hurricanes.

If you're going to keep a land line, make sure you have an old-fashioned hard wire phone (such as a princess phone) - during a power outtage portable phones don't work.

[Koronin]

I like a land line for added security. I also have a corded phone, although I actually have mine plugged in at all times. I use the corded for for any type of conference call I need to do from home. I also prefer it for longer calls. The place we rented when we first moved here had horrible cell phone reception. Basically if we were in the house the cell phones didn't work and we had to use the land line (which also wasn't great there, but at least it worked). Where we bought both work fine, but I prefer having the land line in case of power outages, for conference calls and for longer calls. Also I use a fax machine occasionally for work and I needed a land line for that as well.

[Fredwina]

That depends on the situation.
I did not have landline when I lived in California and did not miss it.
When I moved here, my credit cards were maxed out and the Cable provider wanted a cc # to turn on the line, so I went with landline and DSL.
Where my mother lives, she has landline, but the bldg does not let call her LD, so I got her a cell phone.

[Kiwi Stoker]

Yes it depends. My sister had no landline for some months and both mum and I complained when we found we had $100 phone bills calling her cell phone a few times. Often we got calls from her when she was at work at the end of the day as she had run out of credit on her phone so couldn't call us. She also didn't have the internet so was either at my parents place using theirs or at work.

Both of us told her- enough is enough, get yourself sorted, otherwise no free internet and we will stop calling you.

[Crankin]

I have a VoIP home phone. So, if the cable/internet goes out, we have our cells. I do have one corded phone, so old it still has my AZ phone # written on the inside of it.
I don't want to give up my home phone #. Although, I had to give up my precious "1-1-1-1" (last 4 digits) number when we got the Comcast VoIP phone, because we had Vonage, which was so awful, it never worked, and in order to get the switch done immediately, we couldn't transfer our #. Our kids were traumatized, seriously, neither of them have memorized the new #, 5 years later.
DH constantly harasses me about giving up the home phone. I don't feel comfortable doing this. We live on a street where it's very hard to find the houses and I get worried about 9-1-1 calls. Yea, I am old, so this is one change that I won't make. Maybe when I move. I am not attached to this #, so, we'll see.

[Irulan]

we have crappy cell coverage at our house and two home offices so we keep the land lines.

[lph]

I've been debating the same thing. I don't like to have my cell phone on at night because I'm a very light sleeper and I swear I can hear the little "bipp!" of a message coming in even if the phone is on another floor. So our landline is for emergencies.

btw, what are peoples feelings around cell phone use at night? Since we all turn ours off or onto flight mode at night, I tend to send people messages without considering if it might wake them up. Like "We're planning x, y or z for tomorrow. If you're awake, please give me a call." But I'm wondering if it might be a bit rude, since I now know some of my friends never ever turn off their cell phones, and keep them on their bedside tables. That would just stress me out.

[Catrin]

I gave up my landline almost 3 years ago and I do not miss it. I was nervous about making that change, but I really wanted to try a smartphone and that was the only way I could justify the additional expense. I am glad I made the change but, of course, nothing is perfect. I do like not having to decide which number to give out, not having more than one voice mailbox to check (though you can forward your LL to the cell phone if you wish), and the lower expense.

[ny biker]

I've been debating the same thing. I don't like to have my cell phone on at night because I'm a very light sleeper and I swear I can hear the little "bipp!" of a message coming in even if the phone is on another floor. So our landline is for emergencies.

btw, what are peoples feelings around cell phone use at night? Since we all turn ours off or onto flight mode at night, I tend to send people messages without considering if it might wake them up. Like "We're planning x, y or z for tomorrow. If you're awake, please give me a call." But I'm wondering if it might be a bit rude, since I now know some of my friends never ever turn off their cell phones, and keep them on their bedside tables. That would just stress me out.


I generally don't send messages to people if I think there's a chance that they're asleep. Except for one friend who I know is a ridiculously heavy sleeper. (I envy him...)

[OakLeaf]

I tend to send people messages without considering if it might wake them up. Like "We're planning x, y or z for tomorrow. If you're awake, please give me a call." But I'm wondering if it might be a bit rude, since I now know some of my friends never ever turn off their cell phones, and keep them on their bedside tables. That would just stress me out.

I leave my phone on and yes, a text "bong" would wake me.

For one thing, I have a phone just as much for other people's emergencies as for my own. It wouldn't be fair to my family to be inaccessible if something should happen, so I don't turn it off and I try not to let it out of my earshot. If my phone rings in the middle of the night, my assumption is that someone's gone to the hospital. Stress - uh, yeah.

For another thing, it's my alarm clock (and a lot of people use theirs that way, too - never have to worry about forgetting daylight savings time, overlooking an appointment, or synching with the atomic clock).

If I want to send that kind of a message to someone, I use email or Facebook. If someone's awake and open to phone calls in the middle of the night, by all likelihood they're checking their email. If they've got their phones set to sound audibly when those kinds of messages come in ... that's their own problem ;) - since they're as likely to get spam or news messages as "real" ones.

[lph]

Actually I'm talking above myself when I say "cell phone use at night". I'm never awake at night :D But occasionally I'll send a message expecting someone not to see it until they are up the next morning. I'll stop doing that, I've realized most people don't switch off their phones like we do. Not least because more and more people don't have land lines any more.