# Have you given up your landline? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 23, 2008, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-given-up-your-landline/474133 "2008-11-23T19:49:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ginman999](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e495f1/32.png) [@ginman999](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ginman999)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2008, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-given-up-your-landline/474133/1 "2008-11-23T19:49:27Z")
I no longer have a landline phone. After 27 years of paying for one I now have just my cellphone. Anyone else? ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2008, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-given-up-your-landline/474133/2 "2008-11-23T19:51:11Z")
This is better suited to IMHO than GQ. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2008, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-given-up-your-landline/474133/3 "2008-11-23T19:53:05Z")
Long time ago. For me, a landline is superfluous since I have broadband internet and a cellphone. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2008, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-given-up-your-landline/474133/4 "2008-11-23T19:57:38Z")
I switched a few years ago. I was getting sick and tired of Qwest’s policies and abyssmal customer service, and a cell phone seemed the best way to get out from under their thumb. Now I’m paying the same price I was paying them for absolute bare-bones service, but for that price I get long distance, voicemail, caller ID, call waiting, and a host of other features, plus of course the convenience of having it wherever I go, and being able to make calls from the park, or the airport, or wherever. I don’t see the downside. ---
**Author:** ![KarlGrenze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dbc845/32.png) [@KarlGrenze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGrenze)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2008, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-given-up-your-landline/474133/5 "2008-11-23T20:00:56Z")
I haven’t had a landline since I got a cellphone over 4 years ago. Most of my friends and family are long distance. I like that I can use the cell phone and the minutes are the same as long as they’re within the US (or use it during “free minutes”). ---
**Author:** ![EmAnJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d2c977/32.png) [@EmAnJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmAnJ)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2008, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-given-up-your-landline/474133/6 "2008-11-23T20:01:01Z")
We did a couple of years ago, although when we moved into this house just over a year ago, the phone company never disconnected the phone, and so we do actually have a landline, but we don’t use it and don’t get billed for it. You can make calls and stuff on it though, and we have, but we don’t get charged for it. ---
**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2008, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-given-up-your-landline/474133/7 "2008-11-23T20:15:59Z")
I’m the opposite - still haven’t gotten myself a cell phone. I really don’t need one. ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2008, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-given-up-your-landline/474133/8 "2008-11-23T20:16:50Z")
Yup. Gone. No more. Didn’t need it, didn’t want to spend so much money on something I hardly ever used anymore. ---
**Author:** ![EmAnJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d2c977/32.png) [@EmAnJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmAnJ)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2008, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-given-up-your-landline/474133/9 "2008-11-23T20:18:44Z")
One problem that we run into with only having cell phones: my parents don’t, so if Mom or Dad is visiting, and I’m at work and need to call to say I’m going to be late or something, I can’t. I have no way of reaching them. ---
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2008, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-given-up-your-landline/474133/10 "2008-11-23T20:21:34Z")
I still have a landline, though I don’t like it much. Two reasons, both pretty compelling: My building, for some reason, decided to install a buzzer system (for entrance to the building) that used the landline as a speaker system, at just about the time that people first began to wonder “Do I reallly need a landline?” Brilliant. Now if I want to give up my landline, I also give up having a way to buzz visitors in. Also my building bought a bulk cable deal with the cable company, giving us a good price on a cable TV/internet access/phone service. I’m pretty sure this is a package, where you can’t just get two parts without getting the third part. So I’m stuck. ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2008, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-given-up-your-landline/474133/11 "2008-11-23T20:21:40Z")
> [@Antigen](#): > > I’m the opposite - still haven’t gotten myself a cell phone. > > I really don’t need one. That’s what I used to think too. Now I don’t have a landline. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2008, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-given-up-your-landline/474133/12 "2008-11-23T20:35:31Z")
> [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](#): > > My building, for some reason, decided to install a buzzer system (for entrance to the building) that used the landline as a speaker system, at just about the time that people first began to wonder “Do I reallly need a landline?” Brilliant. Now if I want to give up my landline, I also give up having a way to buzz visitors in. I don’t believe this is the case. Such systems exist, of course, but they don’t generally rely on the _service_ provided by the phone company; they merely take advantage of the wiring that already exists between a central location and your apartment. As long as the wiring remains, you should be able to have the buzzer work while discontinuing the telco service. ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2008, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-given-up-your-landline/474133/13 "2008-11-23T21:28:59Z")
> [@ultrafilter](#): > > That’s what I used to think too. Now I don’t have a landline. Ditto. My cellphone costs about $5/month more than the landline used to, including enough minutes that I make all the calls I feel like and never incur extra charges. ---
**Author:** ![obfusciatrist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/4af34b/32.png) [@obfusciatrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obfusciatrist)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2008, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-given-up-your-landline/474133/14 "2008-11-23T21:32:09Z")
Haven’t had a landline for almost 4 years now. And it was several years before that that we actually used the one we had (it came with the DSL we were using at the time). ---
**Author:** ![Sofis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Sofis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sofis)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2008, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-given-up-your-landline/474133/15 "2008-11-23T21:42:28Z")
I’ve never had a landline :). I had a mobile phone before I moved away from home, and saw no need to pay extra for something I already had. Since I don’t call much, it’s also way cheaper than any landline. ---
**Author:** ![Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/le_ministre_de_l_au-dela/32/12181_2.png) [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2008, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-given-up-your-landline/474133/16 "2008-11-23T21:53:09Z")
No, if I’m giving up anything, it’s going to be the cell phone. I use the landline anytime I actually want to be able to hear the other person clearly. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2008, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-given-up-your-landline/474133/17 "2008-11-23T21:56:32Z")
> [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](#): > > No, if I’m giving up anything, it’s going to be the cell phone. I use the landline anytime I actually want to be able to hear the other person clearly. What kind of ancient POS cellphone do you have? I have significant hearing loss in both ears yet even I have little trouble understanding people on my cell. ---
**Author:** ![Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/le_ministre_de_l_au-dela/32/12181_2.png) [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2008, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-given-up-your-landline/474133/18 "2008-11-23T22:05:46Z")
> [@Q.E.D](#): > > What kind of ancient POS cellphone do you have? I have significant hearing loss in both ears yet even I have little trouble understanding people on my cell. It’s a Samsung. I’ve never had a cell phone that I enjoyed, however. Terrible sound quality, little dropouts every couple of seconds and that lovely delay that has the other person talking at the same time as you. Doesn’t matter whether it’s my phone (which I can upgrade, I just haven’t bothered), my wife’s Blackberry (less than a year old) or my friend’s iPhone, it still sounds like someone’s calling from the bottom of a deep fryer. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2008, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-given-up-your-landline/474133/19 "2008-11-23T22:08:52Z")
I wonder if that’s more an issue with the service than with the phone. I currently have a Samsung, and have had others in the past with few complaints. ---
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2008, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-given-up-your-landline/474133/20 "2008-11-23T22:10:25Z")
> [@Q.E.D](#): > > I don’t believe this is the case. Such systems exist, of course, but they don’t generally rely on the _service_ provided by the phone company; they merely take advantage of the wiring that already exists between a central location and your apartment. As long as the wiring remains, you should be able to have the buzzer work while discontinuing the telco service. No, I think they’ve removed the old system (they certainly removed the box that the buzzer used to be in, and conveniently replastered that part of my wall.) I spoke to another tenant who wanted to remove her phone, and she was told that she would have to go without a buzzer if she did that. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-given-up-your-landline/474133.md?page=2)