Have you given up your landline?
A growing number of Americans are getting rid of their old telephones and using only cellphones — a trend being led not by the high-tech elite but by people in poorer states as a way to save money, Associated Press reports.
Government estimates released Wednesday show at least 30 percent of adults in 10 states rely entirely on cellphones, with the highest percentage in Arkansas and Mississippi, where many cannot afford to pay for two separate lines, AP writes.
Wealthier households have been slower to use wireless technology as their sole means of making calls, AP reports.
Rich or poor, have you given up your landline? If so, what has been your experience? Any regrets?
If you have not, are you considering it? Why or why not?
- Henry Unger, The Biz Beat
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75 comments Add your comment
Road Scholar
April 21st, 2011
6:27 am
No. Need it for the security system to operate.
Nono
April 21st, 2011
7:10 am
Haven’t had a landline in almost 5 years. Our families and friends are all out-of-state. Why have a phone that doesn’t give you the freedom to call them without worrying about long distance charges? Plus having a cell phone and a landline is just redundant. We don’t need it, so we don’t have it – for us, it would be a waste of money.
Chode McBlob
April 21st, 2011
7:18 am
If I didn’t have a free cell phone from work I wouldn’t have a cell phone at all. I think cell phones are an added expense. But it doesn’t make sense to really have both any more as the reliabilty of cell phones have improved. I remember how I always used to see people have to go outside to used their cell phones because they didn’t work to well indoors. But that is no longer a problem.
LBC
April 21st, 2011
7:19 am
Several years ago, actually. While there may be some valid reasons for some families to keep them (security systems, medical alert stuff and the like), unless you have one of those reasons, it’s just another expense. I got rid of mine when I realized that I didn’t even have a phone plugged into the line, but I was still paying for it. Yep, not worth it.
ndexpat
April 21st, 2011
7:21 am
We dumped ours over a year ago. It wasn’t an issue of saving money (although that’s nice too), but the only calls we got on it were telemarketers. Everybody we know calls us on our cells. We switched the security over to a cell transmitter, which cost some dollars, but w/ the money saved on the land line it balance out in a few months.
Mark
April 21st, 2011
7:26 am
no home phone line here. I do have internet service and use a VOIP router as my home line. Real simple and free. Saves money and has the added benefit of a home phone line.
Patrick
April 21st, 2011
7:37 am
I would LOVE to get rid of our land line but our cell phones (AT&T) don’t work inside our house.
no phone
April 21st, 2011
7:48 am
I’m getting rid of mine landline next month—I’ve had enough of ATT’s ripoff fees and charges and bad service.
ADD
April 21st, 2011
7:49 am
Wen I moved into my home, I had a security system with a cellular monitoring connection installed. The internet is handled through my cable provider. With 2 cell phones in the household, there was just no need for a land line. Also, with cellular monitoring on the alarm system, there is no worry of the lines being cut by burglars.
Heather
April 21st, 2011
7:52 am
dumped them years ago. the only calls were from telemarketers and our friends and family only called on our cells. it was a waste of money.
Tamika
April 21st, 2011
8:06 am
We scrapped our land lines about four years ago and are very happy. The few problems insignficant were more than offset by not getting ANY political robo calls in the election.
Laura
April 21st, 2011
8:11 am
Once I found a wireless provider that had good reception at my house, and I got wireless internet, the landline became an unwanted and unneeded expense.
Bill
April 21st, 2011
8:17 am
I got rid of my land line and i got VOIP and a Cell phone.
commoncents
April 21st, 2011
8:17 am
Haven’t had a landline since I left for college in ‘03. Don’t need one now either bc the only people who would call are solicitors.
Our security system runs off of a “cellular transmitter” or whatever it’s called, so no landline is required. (security system has a battery back-up, so even when the power is out I’ll know if someone is trying to get in. Then they can meet my Springfield!)
Kris
April 21st, 2011
8:20 am
No landline here in over 6 years. No one but solicitors would call so I dumped it.
Tom
April 21st, 2011
8:22 am
Yes, the landline is gone. I had been hanging on to it because the security system needed it but I got a new security system that has its own cellular line and finally ditched the landline. Not a huge savings. When everything was said and done, I save about $30 a month over what it was costing me before.
2girls2boys
April 21st, 2011
8:24 am
No for 2 reasons. First of all as Road Scholar pointed out, it is needed for our security system.
The second most important reason is for the kids. I have 2 who are not old enough to have cell phones and I don’t want their friends, etc. constantly calling mine or my spouses cell phones.
Once the two youngest are old enough, we will ditch the land line (local only) and get them cell phones. Will upgrade the security system as well.
Belinda
April 21st, 2011
8:41 am
I still have a “home phone” through Vonage. It’s about $15/month taxes and fees included. I consider it a luxury. It’s not necessary.
Nickie
April 21st, 2011
8:50 am
We had a local only land line up to last month. We both have iPhones and we realized the only calls we got on the land line were telemarketers (even though we were on the do not call list), political robo calls and so called “surveys”. Ditched it and we are saving about $27 per month. Not a huge amount but something. Since we have no children in the house to need it and wireless security system it was something we should have done a long time ago.
delois
April 21st, 2011
8:52 am
We need one so my husband can transmit data from his pacemaker/defibrilator to his doctor. That’s the only thing we use it for.
The Cuckoo
April 21st, 2011
8:53 am
Yeah, it’s not that I needed to save money, it’s just that I felt like I was paying $40 a month for the privilege of being harassed by telemarketers. Gave it up five years ago and have never looked back.
Grits
April 21st, 2011
8:56 am
I’m a senior and have a plain jane cell phone. It has never failed to work for me and politiacians and charities don’t have access to my number. I dropped my land line last year – why pay for two phone services?
Mike
April 21st, 2011
8:56 am
I don’t consider us poor but we haven’t had a land line in over 10 years.
No Kids
April 21st, 2011
8:59 am
We had VOIP for a while, then switched exclusively to cell phones a few years ago. But those are now costing us ~$120/month, which is no bargain either. Seems cell phone rates creep up faster than the landline rates.
sladersaan
April 21st, 2011
9:00 am
Dumped my land line in 2000 when most mobile plans offered free long distance. I got tired of all the fees and taxes associated with having a land line. The breaking point for me was when the phone company charged me a fee for not having a long distance carrier.
chef pierre
April 21st, 2011
9:03 am
METRO PCS and MAGIC JACK …
Rodney
April 21st, 2011
9:12 am
I haven’t had a landline since 2006 and I haven’t missed it. I work from home and initially I was concerned about minutes usage but got an unlimited plan through VZW and their “friends and family” (in which I include my company’s conference call #s). I haven’t missed my landline at all. My security gate runs through my phone so even when I’m expecting someone to come to my house, I don’t even have to be there to buzz them in.
lovelyliz
April 21st, 2011
9:23 am
I have my services bundled – digital cable, although I am currently watch about as much TV in one week ads I used to watch in a day and no premuim channels; highspeed internet that just isn’t that fast, and landline with no caller id, no call waiting. On two televisions, this is running me about $200.00 a month Something’s go to give. I’ve been looking into DSL serivce and chucking not just the landline phone, but the cable and cable modem as well.
RobbieC
April 21st, 2011
9:24 am
Definitely not poor, but I rely on my iPhone. Much simpler as I don’t have to keep track of messages on two answering machines or pay two bills. Besides, the iPhone is the Swiss Army Knife of gadgets…iPod, Guitar Tuner, GPS, Maps, Weather, etc. I do have MagicJack and can make calls 24/7/365 anywhere in the US for $20 a year but only use it for very long calls that would otherwise eat up my minutes.
Bobby
April 21st, 2011
9:24 am
Ditched my land line and cable TV a little over 1 and 1/2 years ago. I get enough channels with my TV antenna including local TV and sports so I haven’t missed cable or my land phone. Since ditching the land line I don’t receive political or telemarketers.
Debra
April 21st, 2011
9:30 am
I am not poor! Haven’t used a land line in two years. Our family operates on cell phones. The only calls we got were telemarketers and doctor reminders. I did not like the assumptions and overtones made in this article that poor states and poor people rely on cell phones because they can’t afford to pay for two lines.
RoberTee
April 21st, 2011
9:33 am
Got rid of it 3 years ago. I didn’t like the high fees for basics that are on my cell phone (voice mail, call waiting..). Add on fees that they charged that were not for service, but for revenue generation. Just like the phony bank fees. We have saved a lot of money.
Rob
April 21st, 2011
9:39 am
For most of my 20 years since college, I have enjoyed a high income. Then, my company folded, my wife got sick, and I lost health insurance. Thus, I burned through my saving within one year. First thing I did was get rid of my landline. Didn’t miss it, at all. The only issue was faxing, but there are online alternatives to this. After I became poor and almost lost my house, I finally got a new job paying a decent salary again. But, I have no reason to use a landline. Technology has grown so fast that cell phone networks are as secure and as fast as traditional telco networks. And, smartphones are really cool. Offers Skype as an alternative, as well as video chat, etc.
Landlines are dead. If you have to have one, add it to your cable bundle. Cell phone providers don’t charge for mobile-mobile calls anymore, anyway – just to land lines. So, even if you have one, people won’t call you.
AmazonRed™
April 21st, 2011
9:40 am
I keep my landline mainly for emergencies.
The digital companies (Vonage, cable company) require power. If the power goes out for an extended amount of time, your phone is as useless as your dead cell phone.
Quint
April 21st, 2011
9:43 am
I canceled my landline over a year ago after the rip off fees on it… $10 extra monthly just for having the basics and no long distance (I rarely make local calls). Been a Verizon Wireless user for almost 6 years and only had a handful of problems in that time. No robo calls are a plus. I also have Google voice number I give out when I don’t want someone having my real number. I am not rich, but I am not pooe by any means
Sanjeev
April 21st, 2011
9:45 am
I gave it up 7-8 years ago when cell phone reception became reliable enough in my neighborhood. Even then I only had a basic $30/month land line with no extras. Heck now with Google Voice you can get free calls in gmail at least through the end of 2011.
Quint
April 21st, 2011
9:47 am
Not too keen on the nuisance fees on the wireless side (~20%), but as a percentage, it is less than the landline (~33%), though.
Roberto
April 21st, 2011
10:01 am
Verbatim what NoNo said @ 7:10.
Thurston & Lovey
April 21st, 2011
10:03 am
“Wealthier households have been slower to use wireless technology as their sole means of making calls”
Cell phones are not secure. Rich people don’t always buy into the latest and greatest technologies until they are made less expensive. The Howells don’t need to keep up with the Jones’!
cardinal
April 21st, 2011
10:08 am
Like a few others I think the article made a big leap in judgement over why some have given up their landlines. I wouldn’t be considered poor and I gave up my landline close to 8 years ago because I rarely used it, found it to be a waste of money and utilities and only had it for my home security system. I got rid of it completely when I switched my security system over to cellular. Not to mention that I felt ATT was a total rip-off artist. I haven’t looked back since.
Bethany Dixon
April 21st, 2011
10:08 am
Engaging and well written article! This tops anything I have read lately on the subject at hand. I wonder if this’ll be posted on Twenty-First Tycoon. Although the site has awesome political, business, technology and real estate news, they could use more stuff like this. http://www.21Tycoon.com
PrinPrin
April 21st, 2011
10:09 am
“No. Need it for the security system to operate.”
Get a security system with a cell phone. They’ll usually install it for free (you just have to agree to their monitoring for a couple of years). Once that is done you can get Vonage for the home phone if you really still want a landline…it costs about 15.00 per month, you can use your existing phones and you can keep your phone number.
Lundy
April 21st, 2011
10:13 am
We had a land line only because we needed it for our security system. Now I have a security system that doesn’t need a land line, so we ditched it. Internet is through cable lines, and we have cell phones.
Mary Thompson
April 21st, 2011
10:17 am
AT&T land line phones are a joke! My 82 year old aunt’s phone went out three months ago and they never got it fixed. When I found her dead, I had to go to a neighbor with a cellphone to call the authorities. I wouldn’t have an AT&T land line if THEY paid ME!
Jen
April 21st, 2011
10:22 am
Haven’t had a land line in almost 15 years. OUr security company (and probably many others) used a system that didn’t require a land line.
Marietta Mary
April 21st, 2011
10:25 am
I keep a land line for the obvious reason — you can sneeze where I live and the power goes out. This has happened more times than I care to count since moving to the Atlanta area — rain, floods, ice storms, wind storms — over 30 years ago. Another reason I have an old gas water heater and a gas stove. Hot water and cooking facilities.
Gary
April 21st, 2011
10:30 am
No phone line in ten years. Use a cable modem for high speed interent. A dish for TV and my wife and I both have our own cell phones.
Roberto
April 21st, 2011
10:34 am
Marietta Mary. Cell phones work just as well as the landlines when the power goes out. (Did you try using your landline on Sept. 11th? They didn’t work much better than the cell phones did.) If you’re worried about keeping a charge, buy a battery backup. Or if you’re realllllllly worried, buy a generator that kicks in when the power goes out.
RGB
April 21st, 2011
10:48 am
We switched to Ooma (a VoIP service requiring high-speed Internet connection) a couple of months ago. You can take your landline number and port it to Ooma and also have your cell phone ring simultaneously anytime you get a call to your landline. Or, you can have the call routed to your cell phone automatically if your DSL or Internet service experiences an outage (or during a power outage).
The small Ooma box is $200 (Costco, Amazon, others) and you just pay taxes (about $30/yr) for the basic service which includes voicemail and unlimited local and LD in the U.S.. Unlike Magic Jack you don’t have to have your computer on (I believe that’s the case). The Premier Service (needed for the multi-ring capability mentioned above) works out to about $13.50/mo. including taxes.
Consumer Reports just said that Ooma has voice quality superior to legacy phone companies. The Premier service has some other bells and whistles that are appealing such as blacklists, cell phone compatibility, etc.
The main difficulty to switching to Ooma for AT&T customers is that AT&T throws every obstacle in your way to prevent you from doing it. They tell you you cannot keep your existing email address (you can) and work it so that your DSL is down for a few days. I don’t know whether it’s punishment from AT&T or incompetence, but I’m glad I made the switch. Their customer service is abysmal and ensures I’ll never use their cell phone or TV service.
There are issues with Ooma if you have a security system or use a fax machine so be sure to check it out carefully. There may be some workarounds.
joe
April 21st, 2011
10:54 am
I had my LL disconnected in 2008…waste of money, and I’m not poor, but am into saving money where I can.
RJH
April 21st, 2011
10:58 am
Cellphones are more like computers than ever, with similar vulnerabilities, many of which rely on user actions. And all of those bad things on the Web now have a new target as these mobile devices surf the Internet.
If somebody can send you an e-mail or a text message or a Facebook message or some sort of message with a link in it, and then you can click on that link and open up a browser page within some sort of portable device or mobile device, you’re subject to the same type of risks.
Experts say users have to balance functionality and risk. You should keep phones updated with the latest software and security patches. Though caution is in order, the tidal wave of mobile attacks isn’t here. Yet. I think the sense that we all have is we’re just waiting for the floodgates to open.
Bottom line is, it is more expensive to have and maintain a cellphone than a landline. I think there is alot of sensitive information that many feel more secure with keeping their landline. Maybe this is why the wealthy are hesitant to give them up.
Most criminal and cheters are caught with info gathered from cellphone records. Cellphone are not and never will be as secure as you think.
Bobby
April 21st, 2011
11:00 am
You (do not) need a land land for your Security System
EMC Security, one of the leading security providers in GA has a wireless system. Many college kids use this type system.
Mary
April 21st, 2011
11:10 am
I don’t have a land line, and I have ADT Security hooked up. They have a new system that lets cell phone users have security hook up.
MA
April 21st, 2011
12:08 pm
I’ve been without a land line since 2003 and have not missed it. The only calls I received on it were telemarketers, surveyors and middle-of-the-night drunk dials.
Last Word
April 21st, 2011
12:08 pm
Only drawbacks that we’ve found (so far) are:
- No listing in phone book or directory assistance;
- Correctly routed 911 calls a gamble (GPS feature on cell a must);
- No one-button ordering of movies on satellite system (must dial 800#); and
- my kids never put the dang thing back on the base (where it belongs)!!
jtom
April 21st, 2011
12:16 pm
Ported my landline number over to a cell phone last month and ditched the landline. If you are going to have a cell phone anyway, consider that you don’t have to worry about what phone to use for long distance, you don’t have to fool with an answering machine, or pay extra for voice mail and caller ID.
No problems and very convenient. It’s easy to add the number and caller when someone calls (e.g., “telemarketer”, so you know never to answer that number again). I can also totally ignore “restricted” numbers. If they don’t leave a voice mail, they’ll never reach me.
Power outages shouldn’t be a concern. Many of us already have a UPS for our computers that could be used to recharge cells. Otherwise, get a car adapter. If your power is out for so long that you lose communications, then you likely have more significant problems to contend with!
Finally, if you really don’t want to give up those extension phones all over the house, consider getting a bluetooth cell to home phone connection system (try Amazon.com). For under forty bucks you can get a device that connects up to your cell phone wirelessly via bluetooth, and plugs into your home wiring. It will make all the wired phones in your house look like extension phones, but uses your cell service (both incoming and outgoing calls – it will ring all your phones). Be sure to disconnect your home wiring from the old outside telephone lines in the box on the outside of your house.
Cornelia
April 21st, 2011
1:05 pm
AT & T’s rates are much too high for even the average person to own a landline. I have a cell phone and will ditch the landline by the end of the year.
Enyap Emearg
April 21st, 2011
1:09 pm
I have been a land line customer for over 40 years – since back when there was only ONE phone company in the country, you could not have a personal answering machine, every telephone had a dial on it and a wire attached to it, there was a pay telephone booth on practically every corner (and a call cost a dime), and the newest innovation that AT&T demonstrated at the World’s Fair in New York was something called “Touch Tone” on a push button phone.
I still have a land line for several reasons (below). The traditional telephone company line is the main definition of “land line”, but now I also include VOIP (voice over Internet protocol) services as well. They require an Internet connection, and the best way to get that is still from the telephone company (DSL) or your local cable TV monopoly. (VOIP services include Vonage, Magic Jack, Skype, and others.)
A land line is always more reliable than a cell phone, especially in diaster situations. During and after Hurricane Hugo in Charleston (September 1989) we were without electricity for two weeks, but the telephone always worked perfectly. During and after Hurricane Katrina, most cell phone towers did not work because the eletronics buildings on the ground were flooded with salt water – and it took months to replace them.
A land line is required for services such as security alarms, fax machines, some TV-related services, certain medical devices and more. (However, security alarms can now include a cell phone, provided you pay for the additional line of course.)
A land line phone number is published in directories – sometimes helpful. Cell phone numbers are not.
However, I AM considering dropping the traditional phone company as a land line provider. I already use a Vonage VOIP system for my business line, coming in over the DSL Internet connection (from the phone company!) I’m thinking of doing the same for the home number. If I do, the only things left on the AT&T bill will be DSL and my wife’s simple talk-only cell phone (because my BlackBerry will be changed to Verizon by next week.)
Lesson to companies of every type: if you provide lousy service at outrageous rates, and you have any competition, even your most loyal customers will eventually leave for better treatment and service at lower cost.
SBinF
April 21st, 2011
1:43 pm
I’m 28 and have never maintained a land line. I received a cell phone junior or senior year high school and that’s been my primary contact since. I think land lines are a bit of a relic. Older folks love them, but I am pressed to think of any of my friends who have a land line.
Zach
April 21st, 2011
2:11 pm
No land line since 2004 and not missed. Sorry I waited as long as I did, never liked the attitude and service (?) from BellSouth / ATT. The day I cut the cord was a celebration. I urge all my friends to do the same.
tl
April 21st, 2011
2:19 pm
Stuck with the land line till next February when my brother gets out of prison. Not only will I save $$ on the LL, I’ll also have an extra $120 a month that I’ve been sending him to survive on. I don’t understand why as of yet prisoners can’t call a cell phone!
DJ
April 21st, 2011
2:21 pm
Land lines are a waste of money these days. The only calls I ever got were from unwanted solicitors. Who wants to pay someone so they can try and sell you worthless stuff! Not me.
Gloria
April 21st, 2011
2:30 pm
Landline through Comcast bundle because I have such poor cell phone reception in my neighborhood. Switched to Comcast bundle about 3 years ago and wish I had just stayed with AT&T for land line as my phone is now out as much as the cable is. Once I move I will ditch both comcast and the landline.
pj
April 21st, 2011
2:33 pm
I still have mine. I used to clean houses, and when one of my clients dropped theirs (before I had a cell phone), it freaked me out to be in the house and have no way to make an emergency call if necessary. I don’t want/have tv, so I can’t bundle it with that. Didn’t know you could get just a cable modem for high speed internet – how do you do that? I am “working poor,”; I prefer to spend less on cell phone than drop land line; I have a net10 and don’t text; I end up spending about 10.00 per month; my daughter has 45.00 unlimited straight talk. total between cell and landlines is less that most people spend on one.
exnuyawker
April 21st, 2011
2:50 pm
security systems dont need a land line anymore. Install a router to your home internet. Still cheaper then a land line.
Daniel
April 21st, 2011
2:51 pm
Dumped ours 7 years ago. It was a wasted expense that we never used. And we’re not in the poor category, just savings where we can. Why get a landline is you never use it? 911 service is still provided, and it’s free! And you don’t need it for your security system. You can buy a converter (sometimes free from the security firm) that will allow it to use a wireless or cellphone.
Comfortably Well Off
April 21st, 2011
3:17 pm
It has nothing to do with wealth. I got fed up years ago with the lame lies, bogus billing, and anti-customer policies of AT&T / Bellsouth, and switched all of my office and home phones to VoIP. Just in case the electricity / internet goes out, the calls are forwarded to my mobile phone. NO PROBLEMS – EVER!
What you are witnessing are people who are taking a stand against a horrible company who ripped their own customers off and lied about it. The AT&T stategy meetings only concern how much more they can `bundle` or charge their customers before the customer refuses to do business with them.
Now, “the people” have better, more affordable options, such as Smart Phones with internet connections and long distance. VoIP service includes international long distance calling, and extensive features such a transcribed emails delivered to you inbox at no additional charge.
AT&T was not only lousey at customer service, they also earned an F- grade in innovation and advanced technology. Even after the government penalized, santioned, and required AT&T to compensate for cheating customers by providing certain services at a specified price, the buzzards refused to do it.
Spank them with your wallet and seek better service….then you will enjoy the benefits of more highly evolved and innovative phone companies.
TnGelding
April 21st, 2011
3:32 pm
No, never!
Mike Eley
April 22nd, 2011
8:59 am
Gave it up probably seven or eight years ago.
Atlanta 1
April 22nd, 2011
2:51 pm
Gave it up a couple of months ago.
Only negative – is that my wife or I have to make sure that one of our mobile phones are on all night – in case of an emergency. That’s about it.
We sent out an email laying out each family members mobile number and we have addressed with with various businesses – doctors offices, etc. as the need has arised.
Upside – no phone solicitors – at least not yet.
Atlanta 1
April 22nd, 2011
2:53 pm
Add to this.
Security System works off a different system – no issue.
Savings is around $500.00 a year.
It was a complete waste of money. Should have done this two/three years ago. Kept telling myself that I would get around to it.
Shudow7071
April 23rd, 2011
7:41 am
Wo Nelly there big fellow! I say bring back the pay phone….at 10 cents per call…ya Martha, can I have Tyler 8-7-100 please!!!
Bob Decker
April 26th, 2011
7:03 am
I would have gotten rid of my landline years ago if it were not for my fax machine, but now I use e-fax from my computer, so its gone. Who still has a rotary phone out there??? LOL
Dee
April 26th, 2011
1:02 pm
Got rid of it and never missed it. God knows I don’t miss the telemarketers! I’m getting ready to get rid of the cable because the older I get, the less I’m inclined to want to watch tv. Like most of the other posters, my security system was switched to the cellular “whatever” so the landline was totally unnecessary.
Me
April 26th, 2011
1:34 pm
Let my home phone go a few months ago..didn’t really need it..besides everyone calls me on my celly