Landline or no landline, is it time to ditch the landline?

[znfdl]

Well my FIOS contract is up and my wife-unit and I are trying to determine if we should keep our landline. One possible solution to get ride of the landline is to purchase home handset that sync with our cell phones.

Just curious how many people have shed their landlines......

[Dave Thompson]

We ditched our landline several years ago. I do miss it a bit, like I miss subscribing to the newspaper.

[EDS]

No landline since 2004.

[Chad]

Seems like it is time to get rid of ours. Every time it rings it is a contest to see who isn't going to answer it, normally for good reason.

[Too Tall]

Dropped our land line 6 years ago. Due to misplaced suspicion that the sky would fall we flipped the land line # to a VOIP provider. It was hard to say no to a two year contract for $150. Guess what? We NEVER used the VOIP (old land line). People know how to fine me if they need to.

[znfdl]

Well I ordered one of these to link my cell phones to a handset..... which will help me determine to go no landline

Amazon.com : Panasonic Link2Cell KX-TG7875S DECT 6. 1-Line Bluetooth Cordless Phone with Enhanced Noise Reduction & Digital Answering Machine - 5 Handsets, Black/Silver : Telephones : Electronics

[Matthew Strongin]

I moved about 4 years ago and never setup a landline at the new house. I can think of exactly zero times where I wished I had it.

[theflashunc]

People still have landlines?

[nash]

I don't understand. Why would you need a home handset? Aren't your cell phones with you?

[Blue Jays]

Landlines are terrific for people who need to be on work teleconferences for HOURS and don't wish to be hassled with dropped connections, poor audio clarity issues, or low-battery problems.

[znfdl]

I don't understand. Why would you need a home handset? Aren't your cell phones with you?

When I am home, I do not always carry my cell phone.

[SteveP]

I moved about 4 years ago and never setup a landline at the new house. I can think of exactly zero times where I wished I had it.

Matt,
I called you last year to ask if you wanted to split my lottery winnings.
Never heard back... I used the money to buy Dct 5 new bikes.
Your number disconnected or something?

[Rich Beaudoin]

When I am home, I do not always carry my cell phone.

My home isn't so large that I can't hear my cell buzz or ring from another room, just like a landline.
We cut our landline a few years ago when we noticed it wasn't used for days at a time. Only needed to train my dad and a few elderly neighbors to switch to our cell #s

[Matthew Strongin]

Matt,
I called you last year to ask if you wanted to split my lottery winnings.
Never heard back... I used the money to buy Dct 5 new bikes.
Your number disconnected or something?

DCT is almost the same size as me. I figure at least 3 of those bikes are mine. Darren, I'll call your landline to arrange shipping.

[AngryScientist]

last i looked, it wasnt really much, if any cheaper to have a cable+internet package vs. a cable+internet+phone package.

i like having a landline and would miss it if it werent there. i like having a corded phone in the kitchen and most importantly at my desk hooked up to the speakerphone. for whatever marginal cost it is, i'm keeping mine unless it gets to be a real expense.

[Bob Ross]

I don't understand. Why would you need a home handset? Aren't your cell phones with you?

My cellphone is with me as infrequently as possible. Partially because I detest the sort of "permanently connected" thing it represents, but also because it goes through batteries like a banshee so it's usually plugged into a charger somewhere when I'm at home.

More importantly, my wife is hearing impaired and so we have a semi-useful CapTell phone with closed captioning hooked up to our landline.

Most importantly: We still have a (212) area code, which I'm told is worth its weight in gold! Ain't giving that status symbol up just to save a few bucks! :)

...although, I'm curious: Exactly how much money do you save by doing away with your landline? I've got FiOS so it's rolled in with our wireless/cellular plan plus our internet provider plus our CATV provider, and my recollection is that the landline is by far the tiniest of those expenses.

[znfdl]

last i looked, it wasnt really much, if any cheaper to have a cable+internet package vs. a cable+internet+phone package.

i like having a landline and would miss it if it werent there. i like having a corded phone in the kitchen and most importantly at my desk hooked up to the speakerphone. for whatever marginal cost it is, i'm keeping mine unless it gets to be a real expense.

The FIOS quote was for a $40 per month difference to have a landline which is equivalent a couple of nice cases of wine.....

[EricKeller]

couldn't talk my wife out of having a landline, so we got one of those cell boxes that pretends its a landline. We use our old wireless phones with it. It's more expensive than another cellphone, but significantly cheaper than the basic line we got from Verizon.

[mmoore]

I signed up with a web based Voip provider. You have to spend a bit of time setting it up and you need to buy the VOIP box (standard computer store hardware) but the fees are really low.

For me, in Canada, my monthly fees are $0.85 per month for the DID (phone number) and $1.5 for emergency 911 service fee. beyond that its $0.005 within Canada and $0.009 for me to call to the States (both incoming and outgoing). There is a "premium rate" which is supposed to be much better at roughly double the per minute rate but I haven't needed to use it - the quality has been great.

The hardware box was $40 and I believe there was a one time setup fee of a few bucks to register the phone number ($2-5).



For those interested, they also do US numbers and I believe other countries too but look them up. Voip.ms :: Worldwide VoIP Origination and Termination

I set it up in December for my Mother in-law to use since she isn't good about using her cell phone and she is at our house to babysit our toddler.

[ron l edmiston]

--
tammy & i ---- no land line for past 6 yrs.., only cell phones..
we echo tall man..

ronnie