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

[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.