phone 'land lines'- any benefits to keeping them?

[Gary Majchrzak]

*for the phone experts out there and those that have already done this*

I'm thinking about cutting my Frontier land line and using cell service only.
If I ditch the old home phone number will I be losing anything significant?

 

[pmemmer]

I'd say cut it. I got rid of mine in February, and I haven't missed it at all.

 

[GMaquarium]

no land line for me. I like the All in One with cell. phone, internet, camera, alarm, calendar, notes and payment receiving device. Pretty soon we are going to be able to microwave a pizza in cellphones

 

[teamdulski]

I don't think I could even count ten people I know that still have a land line.

 

[Capt_Cully]

I have one against my will. Wife wants one for back up emergency child disaster scenario. Yeah Hon, that's worth the added expence....

Ditch it Gar!

 

[jfl14609]

We dont have a regular land line per say we have the digital phone and to be honest its only because of the fact its included with our all in one package from time warner. The only reason I would keep it is if you dont get good cell reception at home. Mine is terrible i get no signal at my home at all I actually had to get a phone that connects to my wifi when I am home

 

[Sunshine252]

My son ditched his, his apartment was broken into at gunpoint & the robbers took his cell with them. It's a headache to find a working pay phone nowadays & none of his neighbors would answer the door at 3:30 a.m. Land line's a pain in the neck, but I'm keeping mine!

 

[IronMan72]

I ditched the landline 3 years ago and replaced it with a magic jack for $20/ year unlimited calling. Ditch the landline.

 

[oldimpala]

For emergency purposes; they're a lifesaver.

I'll give you an example. In the recent floods in Binghamton, the cell network was overwhelmed; it crashed a few times, and people were advised to use it only in an emergency. Landline network was functional. Ditto for any major event in the US. I can provide backup statistics for it, if you'd like. On 9/11, even, when we lost a dozen major switching centers, I was able to call into Manhattan on a landline checking on friends and colleagues. The cell network was useless. I can continue stories, including the October storm here, and a dozen other big events....

Cell-on-wheels sites (COWs) are useful, but not always available. Can I ask you how many of my friends called me, when they could, complained, and I said essentially... I warned ya.

VoIP, Cell, and Digital systems all have limitations on 911 service. It's not based on PSTN termination, but on inferred position. Cell service in WNY is good for ~600'. Sounds close, and if you're in a smoldering car, sure it's "good enough." If you're lying on your kitchen floor, it's not. E911 service on any radio service isn't all that good;

In a power failure, your cell, and all cell sites have a service life of ~6 hours. Ike Eisenhower makes the PSTN (Frontier/Verizon, not TW) network have a minimum of 96 hours of generator and battery life (All CO's are equipped for 7 days, in the real world.)

Personally, I'm not that old (35.) I've owned cell phones since I was 18. All telephones put food on my table, and clothes on my back.

I can't stand the half-duplex, oversized walkie-talkie sound all cell phones have. It's a pet peeve. I'm an audio nut, regardless of if it's a stereo, or my phone.

If you're really only using it for emergencies, switch down to Measured Rate service; it'll be around $15/mo plus tax, and still provide you a backup.

We preach it in our hobbies to have a "blanket" of extra pumps, lightbulbs, a hospital tank, etc. When we look at emergency service, our possessions, and our lives we'll always default to the lowest possible cost provider. It's kinda odd.

I do understand the urge to "cut the cord", I just don't think it's long-term prudent. It's just like insurance, you hope to never need it, but when you do, it's irreplaceable.

Just my $.02.....

-Andy

 

[mr86mister]

The only people I know that have a landline are my grandparents.(Not trying to be an arse, just saying who has it.) My grandmother uses it to contact her friends but uses the cell phone to call and text her family. I'd say whatever you'd want to do would work either way.

 

[tent boy]

We dropped ours about a year ago. My wife added it back last month. She said that it was costing to much in overages on the cell line. She talks alot. I said increase the minutes. She said no. So.............the "winner" is.

 

[low riderr]

we still use are land line daily.ive even been caught taking on both at the same time.i would keep it.tecnology is great while it works.no power, no talk.

 

[Sophie10]

+1 Oldimapala - Sage advice from a youngster! We have ours, and probably will for sometime. If I REALLY need to save money, and HAD to cut a service it will be 'cable, then internet, then phone, then and only then the reef tank!

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

good replies so far. I've never heard of "measured rate" service. I'll have to look into it. Thanks for that advice!

 

[block head]

time warner all in one -phone/cable/interernet. crackhead cell phone.

 

[toddmh]

no land line for me...

 

[EllieSuz]

We ditched our land line a couple of years ago. Anybody I wanted to talk to could be contacted easily with the cell number and the nuisance calls were cut down drastically.

 

[lcs]

We still have a landline. Of course, we don't have cell phones so we'd be in trouble! I've heard that having landline is much better should you need to call 911. It's also much cheaper for us. We only pay $30/month for Frontier and two phones would run us twice that at least. I could see maybe getting a no contract phone with just basic minuts, but I just don't see the benefit for us right now.

 

[IronMan72]

We ditched our land line a couple of years ago. Anybody I wanted to talk to could be contacted easily with the cell number and the nuisance calls were cut down drastically.

+1 - this is another MAJOR benefit that I forgot about because I never get nuisance calls anymore.

 

[daveverdo]

No land line for me. We hooked the the house phones to a bluetooth device that connects them to the cell so I don't need to carry the cell around the house. If you get a call to the cell you can pick it up from any phone in the house. Works great. I transferred the land line to the cell so everyone had the number.
Dave