Spinoff of Toll Free Thread: Do you still have a landline?

[jdb in AZ]

Yes. DH telecommutes 2-3 days a week and a land-line is required for that.

 

[Diznotyzed]

Yup, my husband works from home and a landline is still his best option.

 

[BlueStarryHat]

Yep. And that's the number I give out when required to give a phone number. I hate cell phones and only have a cheap flip phone for making calls for rides, etc. Most of the time it's off.

 

[Ephany]

Yep, need it for the alarm system and for if/when the cell towers go out during hurricanes.

Edit: Forgot that the local phone company requires it as part of the internet package also.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Yep, need it for the alarm system and for if/when the cell towers go out during hurricanes.

Edit: Forgot that the local phone company requires it as part of the internet package also.

To the bolded part that's what gets me nowadays. It's been years since the companies around me had only bundles like that. I believe they still offer those bundles for sure with landline but there's been a choice of a just internet and tv for a long time something like 10 years.

 

[Poohforyou]

Ooma is technically VoIP though. A lot of people (not all of course) only consider a "landline" to be the traditional phone service that goes through an analog copper wire to a specific location set up by the phone company. The thing about most VoIP systems is that the box can be set up anywhere as long as there's an internet connection. I've received assorted calls that I know came from South Asia, but where it was showing up as coming from Virginia or Arkansas. IRS (and other tax agency) scams often run on VoIP to give the impression that they're coming from the recipient's country. When I was reading about one particular bust in the US, the indictment included information that they had purchased dozens of Magic Jack boxes that had been shipped to India.

I know a lot of landlines had been modified over the years. It was traditionally a single copper wire connection from the phone company switching office to your house and if a particular neighborhood had a lot of connections there would be many bundles of these wires. But these days (and it's been done for over 3 decades) it may be a digital fiber optic line where the data is converted to electrical signals before reaching the home/office. Those are considerably more efficient uses of utility equipment.

I realize that it isn't a true landline but it also isn't a cell.

 

[bcla]

I realize that it isn't a true landline but it also isn't a cell.

Sure. However, a more complete list of phone types would be mobile, landline, and VoIP. And even VoIP can get really complicated because it can be easily moved, and I've heard that it can even be done through a mobile internet connection.

 

[smiths02]

No, not for at least 10 years (maybe longer). Cell Phone only. Haven't bothered with VoIP

 

[chicagodisneyfan]

I have lived in my condo for 12 years - we never hooked up a land line.
Our lobby door is programmed to our cell phones so we let people in that way. Never had a problem.

 

[tvguy]

Landline is my primary call sending and receiving phone with an answering machine on it. That is the number I give out.
Cell phone is my emergency my family has to get a hold of me now phone. I don't give that number out.

I worked graveyard shift for 25 years, and the last 8 years have been going to work at 3 am, so my sleep schedule is out of sync with the world. I got the cell phone so that I could sleep uninterrupted....turning the ringer off and the volume on the answering machine down......but still be reachable in an emergency.

I'm about 3 years from retirement, and we may scale back to a pay as you go cell phone to save money then. But at this point, the landline will still be our primary phone.

 

[katie111]

Yes. We have horrible cell service in our town despite the fact that we live in a very populated suburban area only 40 minutes from a major city. It's so annoying!!!

 

[Marchand63]

I have an elderly parent so still have a landline.

 

[AppleDumpling]

Yes, have a bundled package with tv and internet. We use our landline and cell phones in different ways and like having both.

 

[frostedpink]

We still do because I have a young child without a cell phone. I need her to be able to call 911 if needed if I’m not around.

Does anyone know if it’s true that a corded phone can still call 911 when plugged in the wall, even with no land line?

 

[wenrob]

Haven’t used a landline for years. Finally found the right manager at Cox and was able to get it removed from my bundle without losing my discount about two years ago. I couldn’t tell you where the jacks for landlines in this house are or if we even have them.

As far as the kids when we first started leaving them for small amounts of time I showed them how to use FaceTime Audio on their iPads and then we practiced using it. Now they have phones.

Power outage. I suppose it depends on where you live for that to be a concern. We don’t get extreme weather so it’s not something I really worry about. A couple of brown outs over the years but it’s not like all of a sudden our phones are going to die the second the power goes out. We have power banks and vehicles we can utilize if need be.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Do you still have a landline or do you use your cell phone entirely?

Yes, it is our fax # or emergency number.

 

[scrapquitler]

Landline. We live in a rural area where VOIP is not even an option because we have no access to either broadband internet from the phone company or cable (internet options are via cell phone or satellite, which is metered). Husband works at home and spend 8-10 hours a day on the phone, so he uses the landline. Since he's on the landline all day, I use my cell exclusively. In fact, even if he isn't home, I don't answer the phone because I know it's not for me. Our satellite internet can be sketchy in rain/snow storms, and our cell service is also sketchy at times, so having the landline in case of emergency is a must.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

We have a land line because it's part of my triple play package and I like to have it in case of 911 calls. Landline calls to 911 can be traced to your address. Not so easily with cell phones. It makes me feel better when the kids are home alone and they both have cell phones. I don't even know the number and it's on silent. No one ever uses it.

 

[bcla]

Landline. We live in a rural area where VOIP is not even an option because we have no access to either broadband internet from the phone company or cable (internet options are via cell phone or satellite, which is metered). Husband works at home and spend 8-10 hours a day on the phone, so he uses the landline. Since he's on the landline all day, I use my cell exclusively. In fact, even if he isn't home, I don't answer the phone because I know it's not for me. Our satellite internet can be sketchy in rain/snow storms, and our cell service is also sketchy at times, so having the landline in case of emergency is a must.

Well - VoIP is theoretically an option for anyone with an internet connection. Even if you use dialup internet, the bandwidth may be enough. I know it sounds a bit counterintuitive, but it can actually work. It might make sense depending on the VoIP provider. Some include unlimited calls to some countries and unlimited domestic long distance.

 

[wenrob]

We have a land line because it's part of my triple play package and I like to have it in case of 911 calls. Landline calls to 911 can be traced to your address. Not so easily with cell phones. It makes me feel better when the kids are home alone and they both have cell phones. I don't even know the number and it's on silent. No one ever uses it.

We have our address registered through WiFi calling on AT&T. If our address can’t be determined from the phone they will send emergency services to our home address.