Dropping Landline

[Eddie_T]

I am thinking of dropping my landline. I have a cellphone (flip) that I pay $25 for 120 days. Of course it's minutes limited but I can get it unlocked and switch to Ting Wireless and have unlimited minutes for $10 per month. Is there any reason not to drop a landline?

 

[oldognewtrick]

We dropped our landline 5 years ago. Only people who called were telemarketers. Haven't missed it yet.

 

[bud16415]

I dropped my land line 8 years ago and it has been no issues. We get our internet from the cable company and when the guy came to hook it up he tried selling us the package of TV, phone and internet and i told him just internet. When we are in or around the house the smart phones connect to the internet anyway. We have an antenna and get 17 local TV channels and we only use it for local news for the most part and stream all our other TV from the internet.

The only people I know that still have land lines are people that where their house is located are in a dead zone.

 

[Eddie_T]

My internet comes from the phone company but I think I can drop the phone and retain the internet as they are separate on the bill. My TV is OTA using a homemade antenna (Stealth Hawk). I find that I can stream most TV programs after the fact using either ROKU or a HDMI cable. Some require a subscription to view on ROKU but will stream free via HDMI from my Chromebook.

 

[Sparky617]

I held on to my landline for more years than I should have. We dropped it earlier this year when we switched to Google Fiber and dropped CATV at the same time. We were increasingly only getting spam/telemarketers calls. Haven't missed it.

 

[Guzzle]

Landline fidelity is better, almost like Western Electric and Bell Labs wanted it to be.

With the telemarketers I work on my improv routine. They may not miss me but they will remember me.

 

[Sparky617]

Landline fidelity is better, almost like Western Electric and Bell Labs wanted it to be.

With the telemarketers I work on my improv routine. They may not miss me but they will remember me.

I work in the telecom industry and spent a number of years working to improve our voice quality For our traditional LD service. Now cell is the way most people communicate. Landlines are increasingly VOIP and will soon be pretty much only found at businesses. My kids will never have landlines, why would they? Voice Mail is another thing that is falling out of favor. I rarely leave one. For work calls I almost always hit them with a instant message before I call. Personal calls I start with a text.

 

[Eddie_T]

Personal calls I start with a text.

I have a friend who says his grand kids don't answer a call since they mostly text. Could he trick them into answering by starting with a text?

I don't know as the only text I have ever sent is BAL (from my flip phone) to Page Plus.

 

[Sparky617]

I text first to see if it is a convenient time to talk.

 

[Spicoli43]

I'm going to get a landline and dig up the old Rotary phone... Reminds me of this video... I HATE talking on the phone, people know it's about 2 minutes until I get irritated, so make it quick. I'll have the cell with 100 minutes a month or whatever and I'll keep it in a Go Bag, but the thing gets 4 or 5 spam bot texts a day AND 5 plus bot calls a day. It's worthless.

 

[Eddie_T]

That's another point to consider. I currently leave my cell phone off and didn't set up voice mail box so zero bot or spam. If I made it my only link I would have to leave it on more but at least it would have free caller ID. Page Plus PayGo is $10+ for 166 minutes with 120 day expiry. Minutes carry over if renewed prior to expiry. That's .06/min maybe expensive but not if you don't need or use them.

 

[BuzzLOL]

I switched my land line service over to Magic Jack a few years ago. It works over the internet but my computer doesn't need to be on. I kept the same earlier phone number. (If you cancelled a land line, your old number may still be available). It costs about $27 a YEAR if pay for 4 or 5 years at a time! Yes, I only have a phone bill about once every 4 or 5 YEARS! It's unlimited free local and long distance calls. Also free calls to anyone else in the WORLD that also has Magic Jack service! Plus free call waiting, free caller I.D., etc... Also, it does have a DIAL TONE! So you know it's working...
I have about 10 old landlines extension phones on it, kitchen, 2 in Living Room, each bedroom, family room, basement, 2 in garage... rotary dialing doesn't work, but can receive calls on older phones.
I also have a minutes cell phone since there are almost no pay phones that work any more while out on the road. It costs about $2.50/month, 4 months at a time for $10. I leave it off unless expecting a call and don't yack on it for a long time, just get quick messages through. I don't like calls while away from home, just let the landline answering machine take them.

 

[Eddie_T]

Thanks, I forgot about Magic Jack I used to have it for long distance as in-state calls were more expensive than out-of-state on my landline.

 

[tomtheelder2020]

Will calling 911 from your cell phone give responders your address? I kept my landline for a lot of years because, here at least, a 911 call only gave them the cell tower location. When my internet provider set up their VOIP system to make the address automatically display to responders I went that route.

 

[havasu]

I use Straight Talk. Shows at the PD as a land line, which provides my address in an emergency. $50 for the box at Wally World, then $15 a month. Be careful with any VOIP, since they have no idea where you are calling from. By the time they transfer you to the correct PD, you could be dead.

 

[tomtheelder2020]

IBe careful with any VOIP, since they have no idea where you are calling from. By the time they transfer you to the correct PD, you could be dead.

Before signing up they said my 911 call WOULD display the address. I will double check that. Thanks for letting me know.

 

[Sparky617]

Will calling 911 from your cell phone give responders your address? I kept my landline for a lot of years because, here at least, a 911 call only gave them the cell tower location. When my internet provider set up their VOIP system to make the address automatically display to responders I went that route.

Yes, your cell phone will give your location to 911 call centers. You can also dial 911 on any cellphone provided it has a SIM card, you don't need to have a provider.

 

[Spicoli43]

That's another point to consider. I currently leave my cell phone off and didn't set up voice mail box so zero bot or spam. If I made it my only link I would have to leave it on more but at least it would have free caller ID. Page Plus PayGo is $10+ for 166 minutes with 120 day expiry. Minutes carry over if renewed prior to expiry. That's .06/min maybe expensive but not if you don't need or use them.

You can get Red Pocket with 1000 minutes a month / Unlimited text for $84 a year now... I have something similar with them for $99 a year and will never get close to using the 1000 minutes.... Regardless though, less than a cent a minute.

It's on Ebay... $7/Mo Red Pocket Prepaid Wireless Phone Plan+Kit:1000 Talk Unlimited Text 1GB

 

[havasu]

Using a cell phone while dialing 911 will normally connect to a central dispatch for the highway patrol (at least in California). After explaining the what's and where's, they will transfer to the local regional police, where you have to once again explain the what's and where's.

 

[Eddie_T]

I am completing my year on Page Plus which I chose only to get the LG Classic flip phone for $25. I will get it unlocked then will have many options. Having cell phone service for less than $8/mo was better than my old service which was only .015/min but I wasn't using the minutes. Most of my calls are incoming from people with landline or unlimited minutes so I have been taking them on the landline. If I drop the landline I need to take that into account.