given up home phone, do you miss it?

[tarheel618]

I've never had a landline. It's great, no landline bill to pay and no phone calls in the middle of the night. Only 1 number to give out.

Also, side note and off topic, if you don't want to give up the landline number and you have a cell phone as well or a work line. Instead giving out 2 or 3 or more numbers, sign up for a free Google Voice number, link all numbers to that and just give out the Google Voice number. Then when someone calls that, it'll ring to both lines. You can even set up a schedule, so for example, you can turn them off after 10pm and back on at 8am, so you won't get calls at night. Or while at work, etc. You can even get voicemails sent to your email.

This sounds good, can you direct me how to do this? After all the responses, I think the phone is going next week.

 

[RitaE]

We bought an Obi100 device and ported our home phone to Google Voice - free after the cost of the device. I like it better than our old home phone service because I can block numbers and subscribe to telemarketing spam blocking.

http://www.amazon.com/OBi100-Teleph...ie=UTF8&qid=1356186174&sr=8-1&keywords=obi100

https://accounts.google.com/Service...lowup=https://www.google.com/voice&ltmpl=open

 

[snoopybabe]

Not missing it at all

 

[RangerPooh]

We got rid of the landline about 6 years ago. We have had it off and on since, due to cable packages (cheaper to have it than not) but usually don't even plug it in.

We too have google voice and have had it since 2009. It's more for consistency with numbers since we seem to move every couple if years. As pp have said, you can take the number with you even if you move, and you can forward those calls to your cell.

I think the only time I missed my landline was when our provider was having service issues in our area that spanned a period if a few days. I guess it would also be nice since my kids are entering an age where they want to call their friends. But then many if their friends parents are like us and only have a cell.

 

[Fjobe]

We haven't had a landline in about 4.5 years. Before that, it had been unplugged for about 2 years (we got rid of it as soon as DSL became available without a landline in our area). We haven't missed it at all.

 

[letsgoreds]

No landline here...I tend to run over my monthly minutes, and pay $.10/minute, so thinking about $90 Ooma + $3.50/month....or picking up a tracphone to keep at the house.

It was AWESOME during the election (we live in Ohio)...nothing worse than paying my telephone company to give solicitors/anyone runnying for any election/party access to our home.

 

[Lizzybean]

I haven't had a home phone in 7 years? Don't miss it all!

 

[ban26ana]

Time for the 911 dispatcher to give a PSA. I will never get rid of a landline for 911 reasons. When you call from your cell phone, we see a latitude/longitude that we can drag onto a map to find your location. It will tell us how far away from that you are likely to be, and the percentage of accuracy. But that doesn't tell us exactly what house you're in. If you don't tell us where you are, there is nothing I can do to help you.

A landline with enhanced 911 shows your name and address. Your call goes through as soon as you hit the second 1, even if you hang up before you hear it ring. I will then send 2 officers to your house to check on you. First of all, I have young kids in my house that may forget our address in a panic. Plus, if I'm incapacitated and need help, I like the security of knowing I can call 911 and not say a thing, and officers will come to my door.

Magic Jack does not have enhanced 911. Your call first goes to a call center, which then routes it to what they believe is your proper PSAP (public service answering point). I have an ooma, and that goes directly to my proper 911 center, and it shows my name and address.

 

[imsayin]

Time for the 911 dispatcher to give a PSA. I will never get rid of a landline for 911 reasons. When you call from your cell phone, we see a latitude/longitude that we can drag onto a map to find your location. It will tell us how far away from that you are likely to be, and the percentage of accuracy. But that doesn't tell us exactly what house you're in. If you don't tell us where you are, there is nothing I can do to help you.

A landline with enhanced 911 shows your name and address. Your call goes through as soon as you hit the second 1, even if you hang up before you hear it ring. I will then send 2 officers to your house to check on you. First of all, I have young kids in my house that may forget our address in a panic. Plus, if I'm incapacitated and need help, I like the security of knowing I can call 911 and not say a thing, and officers will come to my door.

I'm also concerned about needing to make a 911 call and not having cell service. We had Sprint and our service over the last 6 months was ridiculous. Many times we could not make calls from our house as they were working on towers.

 

[kimblebee]

My cell phone has enhanced 911 so they will know where I am if needed. Plus, a cell phone will connect to 911 even without a contract. I have an old cell phone (8 yeas old) and I can turn it on and dial 911 if needed. It's a great relief to know it can be used in a worst case scenario.

 

[Sunnywho]

We went without the landline for two years and we chose to get it back again. Our internet provider blocked the Ooma service we were using and made it so that we could only receive calls but not call out. Before that it had worked ok but was just staticky enough that it was a bother. I consider the experiment a grand failure! My cell phone is a tracphone that I often misplace, leave in the car, or forget to charge.