Over here in Metro Manila, most in my circle have stopped their subscription on the landline. Their rationale is the infrequent usage of the landline phone since almost all of us have cellphones that we regularly use for communications. Yes, come to think of it, why do I have to pay for the landline subscription when I am not using it? Now some people are concerned because then the revenue from the landline goes down, the telelcoms might be charging us more for the cellphone use of text and calls.
Depending on where you live it's possible, but not always advisable. For instance when hurricane Katrina happened (New York) none of my family could charge their phones, so the only way I could call them was on the landline. There are other benefits, for example business; if you run a business from home often a landline is better and many places such as government sites require a landline to check a business is real and not operating from a garden shed. If you are renting, it is cheaper not to have a landline, but in the UK it is the only way to get broadband at home so many offer free broadband with line rental that way here.
I bought an Android TV Box and just use that instead of using any form of TV.. I get literally everything on it and don't have to pay or go to the cinema anymore. People could say this is illegal but the prices of the movie and TV industry is just ridiculous and I don't want to support that.
I dropped our landline service maybe 5 years ago now? Something like that. We never used it. I don't talk on the phone; hate it. And if the power goes out and I can't recharge my phone, I'll be relieved I'm not so accessible lol.. I will never get used to people being able to get ahold of you no matter where you are now lol.Not that it matters much.. I "forget" my cell frequently
We have also stopped paying for landline. It has some benefits too I guess but for us it was not getting used as much.Some of my older family members still use them a lot for talking with friends and family so they still pay for the service but for the younger relatives they all have stopped paying already a few years ago. I myself have not used a regular phone in years and instead I almost do all of my communications just on a laptop or mobile phone but I have seen some portable landline options that I might consider if my internet usage proves to be too expensive to use for daily communication which as of now hasn't yet.
I recently got my smartphone, still learning how to use it. But can see how we could maybe drop the landline. We actually did in a way already. I got mad at ATT, quit them and got a Straight talk home phone. It uses a little Verizon cell phone access point in your house to bring in the signal and channels it into a regular cordless phone. It works well enough and no more ATT! I could really live without it but Mr. Cluckeyo has to have it. It is only like $16.00, unlimited domestic calls. So I guess we will keep it.
I ditched the landline about two years ago and I have not looked back since. Sometimes the reception is not the greatest, but I will take a slight moment of frustration of the little time I even talk on the phone anymore to begin with, in the name of the hundreds of dollars being saved. Times are changing, and the landline is just not needed anymore.
It really depends on how useful having a landline is to your day-to-day activities. If you think a landline subscription has not improved your communication channels, only adding to your communication burdens, then you are basically free to unsubscribe. For personal reasons, however, my family and I have chosen to keep our landline phone. One reason would be stability. We don't have to contend with signals and the like. Even when there's no electricity our landline connection is still there.
In my country, unreliability of landlines spawned massive mobile phone subscriptions. The connection fee is a major factor as well as the comparatively higher tariffs. This forced landline companies to digitize. Nowadays, only high networth individuals and bigger companies engage landline services.
We still use our landline because it is cheaper to bundle phone, cable, and internet. Furthermore, the international calling is cheaper with the landline and we do a lot of international calling to friends and family around the world. Not to mention, my mother is not so good with a smartphone and she feels more comfortable with the landline. Most likely we'll get rid of the landline within the next year...
Yeah, in the year of 2016 there's really no need for people to have landline service. Everyone pretty much has a smart phone, or a basic mobile phone at the very least. There's really no justification for having both. Unless you don't want certain people to have one of your numbers. Other than that, it's pretty much a waste of money. I don't know by what percentage landline use has dropped, but it's got to be a huge percentage compared to 10 or 15 years ago. Young people hardly use them at all.
I dropped my landline 5 to 7 years ago. I have no complaints or worries about using my cell as my main source of communication. And I definately do not miss the bill.
We dropped landline after bundling for several months and realizing the 4 or 5 calls we did receive monthly could just as well be taken on a cell phone, plus there were semi-regular scam calls from South America and Russia oddly enough.
"Day After Tomorrow" anyone? When Manhattan flooded, all cell phone services was down because of the storm blocking the satellites, plus I'm sure the towers were down also. Sam, one of the characters in the movie went down stairs to use a pay phone which was the only way he could get threw to his mom and dad to let them know that he was alive. If he had not made that call, his dad would not have told him to stay inside and keep warm because the storm was going to get worse. Sam told everyone else to stay inside, but many of them decided to go out in the storm not caring to listen to someone who studies climate change, later footage was shown of them freezing to death, literally everyone caught in the storm froze in seconds. The landline saves lives!!! Landline for life.
Cellphones were introduced in my home country in 2000. I subscribed to cell phone service in 2005. Just in few months, I stopped using land line. For a year, I had landline even though I did not use it. However, later I unsubscribed the service. landline network is better than cellphone networks in the country, however, I discontinue landline service because I could not afford to have tow telephone lines.
We have not used a landline for a long time either. I live in tornado country, and when we had bad tornadoes here, all of the power and phone lines were down, as well as cell towers. There was really no communiction possible at all except for people who had battery power CB radios or shortwaves. Having a regular phone would not have helped us at all. Plus, when they did start to get some of the cell towers working, there was so much traffic on the lines that you still could not make phone calls. However, we could send a text since it only takes a couple of seconds for the text to send, as opposed to several minutes connection required for even a short phone call to let relatives know that we were okay. After going through almost 2 weeks with no power, we now have solar chargers that we can use to keep the cell phone and ipads charged up if we should lose power for a signifigant period of time again. Another reason not to have a home phone is telemarketers. Although we have been on the do not call list, we still would get calls from telemarketers all of the time. On the cell phone, we can see the number that is calling. If it is not local, and I do not expect any calls that might come from somewhere else, I just do not answer the cellphone. If it is important, then the caller can leave a voicemail, and I will call them back. I am perfectly happy not having to pay a bill for a home phone anymore, too.
Well I actually had somewhat of a ironic vision today, and that was my need to use a landline for the sake of clarity, and it did make me laugh a little bit. I have not had my landline for some time now, and I know I made the right choice given the savings that I get, but every now and again we get those reminders. It is certainly the trend though to get rid of it, and I cannot say that I am surprised at all. The absence of telemarketers is also a large benefit @Happyflowerlady - they get on my last nerves.
I did the opposite, I got rid of my cell phone because the landline was cheaper (free) with my internet. I felt like my cell phone was being more of a distraction then of a use anyways and that I really had no legitimate use for it. I work from home so the landline is good for that, and we experience a lot of power outages where I live and its especially good for that. Now I do go places and drive while I understand the convenience of having a cell phone it you break down, I feel like I don't need it. I just call before I leave say okay, I will be here between this and this time.
We have a landline at home because it comes free with an internet connection. I, too, would not want to pay the same amount just for a landline. The phone has proven to be very useful for me. I have a home business and it is the cheapest way to communicate with suppliers as well as government agencies, credit card companies, schools, and just about any institution. I don't have a postpaid mobile subscription so it has also helped me save on buying prepaid credits.
I think it is same worldwide. Landline business is going through a very bad phase since the beginning of mobile era. As OP has rightly mentioned why should somebody pay rent when he can use mobile phones without paying any monthly rental. Moreover, in our area landline phones are down most of the days, especially in rainy season. Only people who use landline here is for their broadband service which is very cheap but got good speed. They are also planning to switch over to 4G due to high downtime. Landline also lacks portability while you can use mobile phones whenever and wherever you want. I think landline phones will disappear within no time and it will be kept in a museum just like what happened to telegram service in our country. Government has officially stopped telegram service as there is no more demand.
