 | | why not have both, i have both a landline & a separate cell or i guess the preferred name is mobile phone, (as a back up)
my thoughts are to those that have only a landline (as we did back in the 50's & 60's, what happens if your landline goes out & you have an emergency,
do you want to have to run to the neighbors & hope they will answer your plea for help,
even if you buy a cheap cell phone but never use it, it will work for you to call for help 911, | |
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 |  BF69Premium
join:2004-07-28
Camden, TN | Re: why not have both, Um cost? | |
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| openbox9
join:2004-01-26
Alexandria, VA
kudos:1 | It seems to me that your argument is reversed. The herd is heading towards mobile only service. What happens when you have an emergency and you have no cell service?
Anyway, BF69  gave you the most likely answer as to why the trend is to not have both services. | |
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| | | cahiattPremium
join:2001-03-21
Smyrna, GA | Re: why not have both, I ditched many years ago. The drop from the house to the pole was removed after a truck yanked it down over winter. Went ahead and pulled the NID and cleaned up the wiring.
Bye ATT... Not looking back. | |
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| | |  en102Canadian, eh?
join:2001-01-26
Valencia, CA | I agree with you on that one:
The cost of POTS (including fees/taxes/charges) can be the same as or more than the following combined:
- Cellular
- VoIP (cable modem or other)
- Skype
--
Canada = Hollywood North | |
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| |  GuspazGuspazPremium,MVM
join:2001-11-05
Montreal, QC
kudos:15 | Re: why not have both, If you only use 5 minutes per month, why are you paying for 200 instead of just getting some sort of pay-as-you-go or prepaid solution where you could be paying $10/mth or less? | |
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| | | | | Re: why not have both, In most cases prepaid services don't have access to the same roaming areas that post paid users enjoy. If you travel at all that might well make it worth keeping a higher priced plan rather than going prepaid. | |
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| | | | i use an old UPS to power my cordless phones base unit in the case of a power outage, longest outage so far has been 4 hours, and it was still working when the power came back up.. might consider getting a used one 
and some of the newer cordless phones have built in battery backups, ofcourse the battery is usually extra  | |
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|  CylonRedPremium,MVM
join:2000-07-06
Bloom County | I have both as well - landline only costs $31 but I could get it to about $25. Cheap insurance as our landline phone has not gone down for external reasons for a LONG time and we have 2 young kids. Batteries last only so long for a cell yet most landlines phones work for days upon days.
My cell is old enough I am not sure the cell has GPS to notify 911 of a location where as with a LL phone it will give the location.
--
Brian
"It drops into your stomach like a Abrams's tank.... driven by Rosanne Barr..." A. Bourdain | |
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| Ulmo
join:2005-09-22
San Jose, CA Reviews:
 ·SONIC.NET
 ·callwithus
·Vitelity VOIP
| said by tab2274:i have both a landline & a separate cell or i guess the preferred name is mobile phone Lol. I can be obstinant and say "its preferred name is radio phone", since in fact it is just a radio phone. After all, a 50 year old pulse-dial phone on a long cord is "mobile", to a degree, perhaps more so than Metro PCS (an extreme example of a bad "cell phone/radio phone/mobile phone" carrier).
Another name I use for radio phones is "pocket phones".
Cell phone or mobile phone are fine too. Who cares? | |
|
 ddg4005Premium
join:2001-08-22
Bronx, NY
 ·Optimum Online
| 25% Of Homes Have Ditched Landlines I quit Verizon last month and signed up for Optimum Online w/Boost and Optimum Voice. Both services have been good so far and I have no intention of considering phone service over a landline again.
--
A man must have a code -Bunk | |
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|  ThrowDemsOutIf you can't convince 'em, confuse 'emPremium
join:2002-03-03
Mullica Hill, NJ
kudos:4 | Re: 25% Of Homes Have Ditched Landlines said by ddg4005:I quit Verizon last month and signed up for Optimum Online w/Boost and Optimum Voice. Both services have been good so far and I have no intention of considering phone service over a landline again. Cable phone services ARE landlines and are seen as such by the CDC. Only wireless is not a landline.
--
Are you happy with your rep in Washington, DC? | |
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| | ddg4005Premium
join:2001-08-22
Bronx, NY Reviews:
·Optimum Online
| Re: 25% Of Homes Have Ditched Landlines said by ThrowDemsOut:said by ddg4005:I quit Verizon last month and signed up for Optimum Online w/Boost and Optimum Voice. Both services have been good so far and I have no intention of considering phone service over a landline again. Cable phone services ARE landlines and are seen as such by the CDC. Only wireless is not a landline. Point taken however because they don't operate over traditional copper lines I didn't consider them as such.
--
A man must have a code -Bunk | |
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| | | Alky
join:2001-08-12
Cleveland, OH | Re: 25% Of Homes Have Ditched Landlines What do you think is inside coax? Copper. | |
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| |  DaneJasperSonic.NetPremium,VIP
join:2001-08-20
Santa Rosa, CA
kudos:7 | said by ThrowDemsOut:said by ddg4005:I quit Verizon last month and signed up for Optimum Online w/Boost and Optimum Voice. Both services have been good so far and I have no intention of considering phone service over a landline again. Cable phone services ARE landlines and are seen as such by the CDC. Only wireless is not a landline. Karl's comment about VOIP implied that he might not be aware of this.
-Dane | |
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| | Why CDC Why is the CDC wasting resources tracking who has land line phones. Shouldn't say the FCC be doing this?
You would think the CDC would have better things to do. | |
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| openbox9
join:2004-01-26
Alexandria, VA
kudos:1 | Re: Why CDC said by dcurrey:Why is the CDC wasting resources tracking who has land line phones. "The CDC collects phone usage data, and corresponding demographic information, in conjunction with its telephone-based National Health Interview Survey in order to ensure that the NHIS is effectively targeting a survey group that reflects the current state of nationwide health." | |
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| |  kleinml
join:2008-04-18
Levittown, PA | Re: Why CDC said by dcurrey:"The CDC collects phone usage data, and corresponding demographic information, in conjunction with its telephone-based National Health Interview Survey in order to ensure that the NHIS is effectively targeting a survey group that reflects the current state of nationwide health." now that's a mouthful | |
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| | | Because CDC has to have accurate polling data to track spread and rate of infection | |
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| | | | Re: Why CDC said by leaner :
Because CDC has to have accurate polling data to track spread and rate of infection
They are tracking the infection of cellphones? | |
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| | | | | Re: Why CDC No, they want to know because, in an emergency situation, you need to know how to contact people quickly without missing anyone. In the past, everyone had landlines, so if you had an outbreak of a serious disease in an area, you knew that you could call or robo-call all the numbers in a set of prefixes and have a good shot of reaching most of the population. However, as landline penetration drops, and as people move without changing their cell numbers, contacting people gets trickier. If you're going to either show that this is a problem or work to find a solution, you need accurate data on what kinds of phones people are using. That's why the CDC is doing this. | |
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| BF69Premium
join:2004-07-28
Camden, TN | said by dcurrey:Why is the CDC wasting resources tracking who has land line phones. Shouldn't say the FCC be doing this? You would think the CDC would have better things to do. Try learning about things before ranting. Thanks. | |
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| | | Because they already collect the data and are providing it for free.
In other words they are saving money by not having to do the survey twice! | |
|
Phatty
join:2000-05-10
Valley Park, MO Reviews:
·VOIPo
| Been Voip for awhile I ussed Vonage for many years before switching to Voipo as my home phone. I still wanted a phone around the house for when the mobile phone falls in a couch crack, or gets left on the night stand. Also I figure in a natural disaster it will double my chances of being able to make a phone call.
I recently got my parents switched over to Voipo as well. This was done primarily so they could keep their phone number when moving.
I think having a phone around the house makes since, it just doesn't have to be an expensive dedicated copper line from AT&T. | |
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|
| | | Re: The disease is monopolistic thinking. Your exactly right...the telcos are keeping the prices high to get you to DUMP your Landline....First regulation/taxation is the greatest only on POTS. Second and most important they MUST GUARENTEE you service. They just sold you the latest Iphone yet anywhere in that TOS paper did you find " We/att promise you full service without interuption or loss and will refund any loss if 24 hrs expires." The sold you a worthless device basically you got "your on your own" dropped 911 call, "oh, well" no service at your home, "walk outside" on and on....If they lose the rules of service on pots to the wireless world we're F'd. 911, especially enhanced 911 is far better than GPS on your phone which the 911 operator has no access to, the wireless provider does...too bad thats not fast enough in an emergency....just the facts..... | |
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| | | The only thing I would disagree is to say this is monopolistic thinking. We have to many choice like dropping landlines to call it an monopoly. | |
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| | 2 Years Without We got rid of the landlines 2 years ago. T-Mobile UMA cell phones made this possible, because no carrier works well in our home and none work in our basement. UMA cell phones are AWESOME! If you have a good broadband wireless connection, the call quality on UMA is as good as a landline.
In the worst case if the power goes out, I walk outside to make a call on the T-Mobile cellular network or roam on the AT&T cellular network. I am planning on a small battery backup system for the wireless router and cable modem in the future.
Over half of call to 911 these days are from cell phones. This will only increase in the future. | |
|
 Jon GebWal-Mart Sucks
join:2001-01-09
Howell, MI | I use AT&T VOIP AT&T Uverse comes with a primary modem that you can bundle a phone with over the box. Its $35 a month and I have a wirephone handset network I set up throughout the house. Works well and $35 isnt too bad to have as a backup. | |
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| | Landlines are expensive Landlines are too expensive for what they provide. About the only reason to have a landline these days is to call 911 reliably. | |
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|  TamaraBQuestion The Current ParadigmPremium
join:2000-11-08
Brooklyn NYC
 ·Clearwire Wireless
| Re: Landlines are expensive said by fifty nine: ... About the only reason to have a landline these days is to call 911 reliably. I dropped POTS over two years ago and ported my phone number to an iPhone. Converted my copper line to dry-loop DSL which costs only $19.99/Mo, not looking back!
One life and death 911 call placed on my cell was not an issue. In fact, the 911 operator knew exactly where I was before I told her.
I have VOIP backup via DSL on the phone if I need it, but have never had to use it. Having an internet backup has been useful..... I have access to all my email addresses and a browser via 3g on my phone. I feel more reliably connected today than when I had pots only, and it travels with me. This is a neat technology! It's the future.
Bob
--
Would you ever go over to Czechoslovakia, and marry me daughter for me?" | |
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| | sparks
join:2001-07-08
Little Rock, AR Reviews:
 ·AT&T U-Verse
1 edit | Re: Landlines are expensive OR an alarm system.
It cost an additional $13.95 a month to have cell alarm that does nothing but alarm.
Phone is $15 and you can use it.
Personally I think the cell is better...they can't cut that.
Landlines are too expensive for what they provide.
TRUE
and as I have posted elsewhere the phone cost me $15 and the taxes and fees (I say its at&t padding) is $17....THIS IS BS | |
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| | what about the stat what about the stat showing how many people dropped PHONES altogether?
BET with those early terminations thats on rise too | |
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| |
| | | | Re: what about the stat I just wish that the number of people talking on the phone while driving would go down. | |
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| | | | ya and when they cut off 911 services illegally on you ar eyo gonna go get a phone
and the last rogers cell i had i sat there watching them turn it on at least 5 times
as i said if you want to get a hold a me , there is email
a few apps i made for friends and other then that mail me the old way
or get off the lazy butt and knock on the door
this saves me from:
a 15$ phone they suddenly racked me up to paying 40$ for and i used it to make 2 calls a month
TOO expensive
BCE wants 5$ for each of those calls at a pay phone ffs
DISGUSTING
and as to cell phones
i dont have them overages and stupid data plans to worry about do i
im not putting money into there yacht building programs
I live ok without a phone. | |
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| | | | | Re: what about the stat I didn't say no one could live without a phone, if your happy living your life that way more power to you.
I said a significant percentage of people couldn't, certainly not enough to warrant a study. | |
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| | Need Landline for Internet Backup I keep a landline as a backup for my cable internet service. | |
|
 old_dawg"I Know Noting..."
join:2001-09-22
Westminster, MD | Skewed? Over 18 considered "adult" and renters classed as a "households", r-i-g-h-t.
--
"Our network engineers are aware of the problem..." | |
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|  bencPremium
join:2007-06-17
Glen Carbon, IL
·Charter
| Re: Skewed? said by old_dawg:Over 18 considered "adult" and renters classed as a "households", r-i-g-h-t. Even if it's not what you, or even what many people think of as a "household," that's the definition for statistical purposes. For these purposes, "household" really means any kind of occupied dwelling. | |
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 PhoenixAZGet A MacPremium
join:2004-01-04
Phoenix, AZ
kudos:1 | Nobody wants two numbers to maintain It's too much of a hassle to keep both. | |
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| cghh
join:2001-01-15
Milpitas, CA
3 edits | Re: Nobody wants two numbers to maintain said by PhoenixAZ:It's too much of a hassle to keep both. What is the hassle? Nobody knows my backup landline number, including me unless I go look it up in my records. It's only for outgoing calls if nothing else works. It has the absolute minimum service on it: pay-by-the-minute outgoing calls beyond a small monthly quota, and no features like caller-id or anything else. | |
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 BlitzenZeusBurnt Out CynicPremium
join:2000-01-13
kudos:1
·Frontier FiOS
·Verizon FiOS
| Who's at home all the time anymore? Most of us work, go out with friends, family, and even co-workers, so we don't spend too much time at home. Sitting at home all the time is not something we usually want to do, and for how little people really use their landlines they don't need to pay the full price for them. A growing feature with cellular carriers is femtocell, and this allows people to have unlimited calls from home just like their landline for free, possibly for some small fee like $10 more.
There are cheap voip providers, but those depend on your internet working, however these days basically all landlines are routed through voip anyway.
--
My hourly rates:
$25 per hour.
$35 per hour if you want to watch.
$45 per hour if you want to help.
$75 per hour if you tried to fix it, and failed.
Security through obscurity is for the ignorant who don't deserve security. | |
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| | | Re: Who's at home all the time anymore? Who's at home all the time? well hey don't forget about the hermits, shut-ins, and misanthropes! 
they're people too! | |
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kd6caeP2p Shouldn't Be A Crime
join:2001-08-27
Palmdale, CA Reviews:
·Vitelity VOIP
·AT&T U-Verse
| debating ditching my landline I've had a landline for some time now, though I'm considering dropping it because the quality of the line is just horrible. There's so much hum on the line that even my cell phone sounds better despite it being low bandwidth digital quality. The hum can be heard on my end as well as callers can hear it when listening to me. I pay about $52/month for the landline, and for just $8/month more, I can have unlimitted talk and text on my prepaid go phone from AT&T. I have several ways of making outgoing calls via VOIP, and all cost considerably less than the landline does. I wonder if the telco's are trying to get rid of their landline business. I mean in my case, my lines sure aren't maintained very well. | |
|
MTUPremium
join:2005-02-15
San Luis Obispo, CA Reviews:
·AT&T Yahoo
| Landline & Cell I use both. Landline for DSL & 911. The cell is the 'main' phone, but has failed during 'emergencies' due to load. The last 'big' local earthquake (2003) resulted in zero cell service for quite a while, while landline worked fine. At the time I was working EMS. The 911-locates on landline worked, and there were none via cell. A more recent minor quake in Mexico affecting the So. Cal. resulted in a temporary overloaded cell capacity.
Consider the user. There are many incidents where an injured/ill person dials '911' on a landline and is unable to speak. The 'old' 911 system gets and address. Cellphones may give you a cell number, if not blocked, and may give you a 'rough' area to search, tower-density dependent. | |
|
QLR
join:2009-06-23
Tallahassee, FL Reviews:
·Verizon Wireless..
·Comcast
·Embarq Now Centu..
| No more landline for me I had a landline for 17 months when I had DSL. I called 2x to kill the thing but I ended up getting price reductions as a result... I went from $73.40 (including BS fees & 3.0M DSL) to $51 (including BS and 3.0M DSL) by having switching landline bundles. I just hated that $10 in fees was on a $20 landline bill... When I canceled all services on 3/29, CenturyLink offered me measured services for $7/month for 3 months. The rate would be $17 after that... and the $10 BS fees would still apply. Needless to say, I didn't keep it. CL does offer dry-loop DSL here but it is restricted to 1.5M for $30 with a contract required... Also, the long distance options are bad here for the landline (I make almost no local calls on the cell). I would have to pay $45 plus BS for unlimited local/LD, or be stuck paying $.10/min otherwise.
When Comcast came a-calling, I took the internet minus the phone. I already pay my wireless company enough of my money. I didn't even bother looking at Comcast's landline/VOIP offerings. | |
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 CajunTekInsane CajunPremium,MVM
join:2003-08-08
Arlington, TX
·RoadRunner Cable
| Ditched my landline I ditched mine over 2 and 1/2 years ago..
Landline started calling 911 and hanging up, then it would go dead.. I got about 10 visits from the police while trying to get it fixed.. I finally gave up and said... Disconnect it.
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da Cajun Darn I hate Malware | |
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| | Ditched Ditched mine 3-4 years ago. Screw landline. That is so 1980. | |
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| | Guess I am one Moved to the deep SE from New England a decade ago. Up in the NE couldn't imagine going without a land line! Had cellular for work, but living up there (and to this day as what I understand) cell reception is sketchy at best unless your in a "major area" which I wasn't.
I have been in the SE for a decade, I had a landline for the first 2 years, but found cellular reception incredible here (not near a city either) So both my son and I decided to go 100% cellular. Now, I couldn't imagine anything else. I guess, the true point of this is, for some people, land lines work for their way of communication, and landlines will be here a while. Everyone is different, and speaking for myself, cellular does the communication trick
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Some people should'nt | |
|
 MurdocPremium
join:2009-02-08
Manitowoc, WI
1 edit | I bet most of the ones that ditched have AT&T in their area. I dumped my landline because of the below the line fees and their constant stupidity over things like net neutrality and breaking laws and trying to buy politicians in wisconsin to get their ways. | |
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| QLR
join:2009-06-23
Tallahassee, FL Reviews:
·Verizon Wireless..
·Comcast
·Embarq Now Centu..
| Re: I bet most of the ones that ditched have AT&T in their area. Hmmm LOL... Most of the cellular only folks I know do live in AT&T areas. Here in Tallahassee, it's CenturyLink. From what I have seen, the younger crowd can't stand them. I don't really care for them but the offerings can be vastly improved. Most of the folks in neighboring, rural counties (that i know) have a landline with either TDS/Centurylink/AT&T and have cellular service with AT&T or Verizon. | |
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·
The disease is monopolistic thinking.
People are ditching their landlines because of telephone companies Bell Headed management that suffers from monopolistic thinking. Telephone companies would rather loose customers than reduce rates. If teleco wasn't so stubborn and provided better value, customers would continue to retain their land line service. Unfortunately teleco keeps adding crap charges below the line rather than reducing rates. The government must share the reduction in service costs by reducing or eliminating unfees and taxes such as the CALC charge, which is never quoted when discussing the cost of service with a teleco CSR. The only reason I retain a land line is to be able to send and receive faxes and allow our security system to be monitored.
