Phone Service

[aharris2]

We are trying to trim expenses. I was looking at my stone age phone service - Verizon + ATT. If we don't make a call, it costs $30 +$20 = $50!!! How dumb am I???
I've checked into Vonage and I've looked at adding digital phone to my ctv and internet thru Brighthouse Networks. They APPEAR to be around $15 additional/month.

Does anyone have experience with these alternatives and what are the advantages and disadvantages? I want your   

Alene

[flip]

My cable company has premium cable + broadband internet + unlimited digital phone service all for $99/mo.

[Chris]

My cable company is like flips, except our price is a little higher. They only problem I have is that I have to log online to see if I have any phone messages. I'm just still to use to seeing a blinking red light when I come home. So that means turning on the computer which takes time, then logging into the web page. There are pros and cons to this insanity. Quick message retrieval by just pushing one button the old fashioned way, to now having the ability to permanently saving a message digitally and sending it via email.

In a news article about two years ago or less, some people are geting rid of the land line and just sticking with their cell phone. The thing to watch out for is the plan you get, how many calls are you making. Just don't add on text messaging service and other add ons and most cell companies have a plan starting at $39.99 and after taxes ends up to be around $45. Some also have a plan starting at $29.99, but then the amount of calls you are allowed to make before added charges is something to read.

[Chris]

Oh, if your cable company is running a special on combined services, ask how much it will cost after the usual 3 month sale price period ends and you start paying regular price.

[flip]

I've often thought about doing away with the landline since I have a cell phone and broadband wireless internet.

[Sluff]

A lot of people I know are doing away with the landline. I would if the wife would agree.

[monrein]

What about during a power failure?  My understanding is that cell phones can be unreliable if there is a big area power outage, cordless phones obviously need power so that is why I keep one landline phone at home and at the cottage.  I don't have VOIP so have little understanding of how that works.

[flip]

That's why I have a generator

[monrein]

Aha, so land line unnecessary.

[flip]

Actually, it's the freezer I worry about during a power outage.

[monrein]

Would your generator not take care of that too or is it too small?

[flip]

It will handle the small stuff but not the heat or a/c. I've never suffered during a power outage because I try to stay prepared for anything.

[aharris2]

What about during a power failure?  My understanding is that cell phones can be unreliable if there is a big area power outage, cordless phones obviously need power so that is why I keep one landline phone at home and at the cottage.  I don't have VOIP so have little understanding of how that works.

This is a good comment. Both Vonage and Digital Phone thru the cable service are dependent on electric and cable both being functional. Of all of the modalities, the good old land line is the most reliable.

Sluff, is it the "home phone number that everyone knows" that is your wife's issue? If so, you can usually keep your home phone # (we can).

[Sluff]

I think so. She doesn't like change...LOL

[mikey07840]

I have comcast triple play with internet/phone/cable. The phone modem has a battery backup for a few hours of backup in case the electric goes out. Where I live the phone company is going fiber optic which goes out if the power is off so no difference. I am saving over $40 a month by not having a land line phone and the service includes unlimited long distance anywhere in the US so I call my mom and sister quite a bit. I love the phone through the cable company. They don't nickel and dime me.

[twirl]

many years ago when this was country and not the Woodlands
my aunt had a party line
we had so much fun listening in on conversations
one place that shared the party line was the BiG D
 
it was a beer joint down the highway a piece
we answered for two rings, the big D answered for three rings and so on
we had about 5 other parties on the line
those were the days
you had to pay more for  a private line

[thegrammalady]

i have just a cell phone. it's $14.95 for a basic land line with almost that much more in taxes, who wants to pay that. my daughter has her phone through comcast. the first year she had it it was always going out, they seem to be doing better now. the guy that drives me to dialysis uses vonage, no taxes so less cost, plus his family in moraco has high speed internet so he sent them a set up and now they can talk really cheap.

[okarol]

Low income or disabled:

Most states have discounted plans available to ensure that all residents have access to telephone service and connections in their homes.
Here's a few:
Florida: http://www.floridapsc.com/utilities/telecomm/lifeline/
California http://www.californialifeline.com/source/MainPage
Wisconsin http://www.att.com/gen/general?pid=10245

or look for your state here http://www.lifelinesupport.org/li/low-income/lifelinesupport/browser/Default.aspx - Lifeline, Link Up, and Toll Limitation Service (TLS) help keep Americans connected by making basic, local telephone service more affordable for more than 7 million Americans. For information about applying for these discounts, click on your state in the map below or contact your phone company directly. Please note, not all companies that offer Lifeline, Link Up, and TLS are listed.

[skyedogrocks]

We have had Vonage for the past 3 years and have had no problems at all.  It costs me $30.00/month, with Verizon, it was $70.00+/month, huge savings.  Since I work from home and have many conference calls a week, I need a land line.  If the power goes out, I can still use my cell phone as back-up.  The great thing about Vonage is if the power does go out, I have it set up that the home calls go directly to my cell, so I don't miss a call at all.

Around here, the comcast triple play is only for 1 year, and then it goes way up.  Not worth it for me.

[monrein]

During the big widespread power outage here a few years back, cell phones were down too.

[okarol]

Having been through a few earthquakes here, I know that cell phones get knocked out right away, as do cordless phones (no electricity) but a hard wired land line will work (until the circuits get overloaded) so we always keep one hard wired, non-cordless phone at home.

[glitter]

because my husband is on disability-- our landline is only 14.95- our whole phonebill without using long distance is only 22.00-  all it took was for me to call them- they didnt even ask for documentation.