Do you have a landline phone?
If so, do you use it in conjunction with a cell phone? What functionality do you get out of the extra phone bill?
Just an informal little poll to test my hunch that landline use is seriously on the decline. Age may also be relevant information since I notice this trend mostly within my peer group (20s), none of whom use landlines anymore.
We have a landline because we don’t get cell reception from that carrier at our house. Maybe soon we’ll have to shop around and find a carrier that gets reception out here and switch over.
We have three cells and one land line. When I lived alone for nine years I had just the cell. I agree that land lines are on the decline, although I have heard good arguments for having at least one corded phone in the house. We have unlimited long distance on the land line, which is great because long distance on my cell plan is 25 cents/min. Our digital phone, cable and internet is with one provider and supposedly saves us money. FTR, in my home we’re all over 40.
I keep my landline in addition to the cell phone. I dislike the slight voice delay when using cell phones, and prefer to use the landline when having phone calls at home. No voice delay, I get an “echo” of my voice in the earpiece (never knew how much difference that made until I experienced the no-echo cell systems…), less likelihood of talking over someone else, no battery running low (and/or having a battery heat up while recharging in the middle of use). Costs me around $9 a month, which is quite affordable.
A landline, no cell.
I just don’t need one.
I have a landline, it’s bundled with our internet and cable. It would never occur to me to ditch my landline for a cell phone. Cell phones are tiny and loseable, the batteries die at inopportune moments, if you walk behind a tree the reception dies, I have never talked on one that didn’t sound as if the other person was replying through some kind of robotic voice modulator, and most 911 centers in this country can’t find you if you call them on one (I don’t care how much crowing the cell phone companies do about their “advanced gps”, it doesn’t do a damn bit of good if the PSAP isn’t set up to make use of the information, and since upgrading equipment costs money most PSAPs aren’t).
I’m 35. I have a prepaid cell phone that costs me $20 every three months to keep active; I pretty much only use it when I’m on the road (or would, if I ever went anywhere), or to send an occasional text message. When it comes right down to it a cell phone is a good thing to have in an emergency when you don’t have access to a real phone; all the other crap it does is just shiny baubles and tweeting things the cell phone companies have applied to try to convince us all we have to have one.
Just noticed the request for an age in the OP; to go along with my post, I’m 34
I have a pay-as-you-go cel phone for emergencies when I’m traveling.
I have a VOIP landline for all my other calls. 47
I just looked at my bill yesterday. I pay a bit over $26/month for dial tone, and $34 for DSL. I made perhaps 8-10 calls in that billing period, for an average cost per call of about $3.00.
I keep it mainly because I need the copper pairs for my DSL service. My mobile phone is provided by the taxpayers (thank you!) so I am not supposed to be using it for personal calls.
My current “cable” provider (Dish Networks) didn’t offer internet access back when I signed up, but I see they do now even though it’s just a reselling of Verizon’s access (VZ is my current DSL provider).
According to their site, basic internet (1000 up/384 down) and basic phone service would add $33 to my monthly cable bill. Add caller ID for $8.20 and 5¢/minute long distance for $6.00/month, bringing the total voice+data bill to $47/month. Savings of about $20/month. Initial setup fee of $41, so the savings aren’t realized until the 3rd month of service.
I’ve not heard good things about satellite internet access, I wonder if they’ll let me test drive it for a month before switching over. And as for IP telephony, how does that sound over a satellite link? As good as a land line or as bad as a cell phone, or somewhere in between?
I’m 45.
Cellphones only. Got one of those Magic Jack’s but not sure if that counts as a landline. It’s primary use is outgoing international calls.
The people in this house are all over 20 and under 55
Everyone else in my family still uses landlines though.
Cell phones only, 42.
I just disconnected my land line month or so ago, now I just use Google Voice with my mobile phone. I’m 40.
Cells only… 48
Cell phones only. I’m in my early 20s, and I just never saw any compelling reason to get a land line after graduating college and moving out. I do use skype occasionally as well.
My husband and I are in our late 30s; we both have cell phones and still have a landline. Why?
Our house gets crappy to nonexistent cell reception in many places inside it so having a landline is very useful.
It’s kind of comforting to know that if we ever needed 911 and dialed but were unable to communicate for whatever reason, the police department would be there without difficulty or delay.
If we’re making long phone calls we prefer to use the large handset of our cordless phones to tuck between shoulder and ear rather than the teeny cell phones. It’s easier on the neck, and easier to hear on.
Finally, the home number serves as a “junk” number - I don’t want most businesses having my cell phone number, so I give the home number and we screen all calls.
I have DSL, so I need to keep my land line around for that. I also have a cell phone.
I’m 39.
No good reception for the cell phones at our house. But the land line is starting to suck too. QWEST is not paying any attention to their hard-line facilities. So my Wife and I are sort of between a rock and a hard place.
I much prefer a landline phone as it is much more comfortable to hold. My cell phone is more of a PDA than anything.
And the voice delay on a cell is pretty much intolerable for any more than simple communication. You can’t ‘visit’ on a cell phone. Might as well be on a ‘walki-talki’.
I’m 48, and live in the boonies.
Decent cell phone coverage is coming. I’m quite sure we will drop our land line when it does. I’m tired of having three phone numbers. (work, home, cell)
What I do like about the hard line is that I can have three phones in my house. One in the computer loft, one in the bedroom and one downstairs. I can always get to it easily and quickly. I really don’t intend to carry my cell phone with me 24/7 when I am at home. And it needs to be charged, I can’t always carry it.
We have two landlines. One is the phone number my hubby has had for ages. We keep that one because his elderly mom (and the rest of his family) have that number memorized, and we don’t necessarily want them calling our cell phones either.
As Ferret Herder says, I use that for all “home number” requests; it has an answering machine so that we can screen all incoming calls. It’s also great for when guests need to make phone calls. (My kids have a lot of friends over).
The other land-line is for my home office. This is used to take business calls and recieve faxes. It also has an answering machine. I consider this a standard business expense.
I just signed up for Comcast’s telephone service. I can keep my two lines for $40 per month. This is going to be a great improvement over Bell South, which was about $50 per each line.
Every one of us also has a cell phone (three kids, hubby and myself). The reception here is great, gone are the days when you could tell when a person was using a cell phone. I use mine about 50/50 for personal/business calls. I have a Plain Jane one without camera or internet access; just strictly voice.
The kids are 19, 21, & 23. Hubby and I are 49 & 50.
Bolding mine.
Not in Colorado. Even Denver. I have had a few calls that where actual conversations where both people can talk at once. But for the most part I feel like I’m talking on a CB.
I keep wanting to say ‘Over’ or 10-4 or something. Mostly I say “What?”
My phone is a BB Storm on Verizon. The previous two phones where the same way. My Wife has the same problem. I think people are just getting used to shitty service.