Do you have a landline phone at home?

[Stranger in a strange land]

yes, because I have a bundled Comcast Package which includes phone, Internet, and Cable. It's useful for emergencies.

[Badger]

Nope, we finally got rid of it several weeks ago. We only kept in for the last year or two to keep the old TiVo hooked up, but the new one is hooked directly to the internet.

[Bunwahaha [still dunno why, but well, so be it]]

Yeah, like at least 90% of French I'd say, who have either a normal one, or a triple-play, like me. And on triple-play the length is totally unlimited, then it really makes it worth it compared to prices of calls with cell phones.

[Gustaf]

My flatmate has one, but I don't pay for it and I don't use it. So, technically, yes.

[memphis]

It's useful for emergencies.

Not trying to be a dick. Just asking. In what sort of emergency would it be useful?

[Joe Biden 2020]

I just switched my home phone service to Magic Jack tonight.  I haven't cancelled my phone service with Cox Cable, yet, but I tested it using my cell phone tonight both incoming and outgoing and it works!!

Question, am I allowed to mention how much I paid for the service since I am not working for, nor affiliated with them in any fashion other than as a customer?  I don't want to get unnecessarily infracted.

[muon2]

I keep my landline. I have it with a wired line and with a wireless station. The landline is always clearer than my cell in the house and the wireless station gives me equal mobility around the house. The old-fashioned wired phone provides a power-outage backup with equal clarity.

[Bunwahaha [still dunno why, but well, so be it]]

It's useful for emergencies.

Not trying to be a dick. Just asking. In what sort of emergency would it be useful?

Well, yes, in USA I don't know, I guess it'd be the same, but in France, when you have a cell, even if you have ended all kind of subscription to any kind of services, you can still use it for emergencies numbers.

[??????????]

Bun, its the same here in FL. It might be a local regulation, not sure though. Landlines are superior for varied reasons and I see no reason to get one just to be "hip". Plus, I don't feel like burning up cell minutes for non-cell calls.

[??????????]

Oh, and I don't want my girls having cell phones, so they need it to call their friends.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

It's useful for emergencies.

Not trying to be a dick. Just asking. In what sort of emergency would it be useful?

Well, yes, in USA I don't know, I guess it'd be the same, but in France, when you have a cell, even if you have ended all kind of subscription to any kind of services, you can still use it for emergencies numbers.

That's true in the US as well.

[minionofmidas]

Oh, and I don't want my girls having cell phones, so they need it to call their friends.

Right; I would consider that a rational argument at least up to a certain age (now don't press me for a number, please )

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

Yes

[Linus Van Pelt]

Nope. I can see the advantages though admittedly and they make sense for homeowners and people who aren't very mobile.

Basically this (including the "nope" for myself at the moment). There's a certain threshold of stability in your life past which the advantages in sound quality and cost outweigh the inability to reach you outside the home. And the threshold isn't that far off - you can still lead a real social life while being beyond the stage of college-style "dude you're at that bar? I'm at this bar!" arrangements.

Not trying to be a dick. Just asking. In what sort of emergency would it be useful?

Well for one thing I remember in the big Northeastern blackout of a few years ago everyone's land line still worked but if your cell phone needed to be charged you were out of luck.

[opebo]

I just switched my home phone service to Magic Jack tonight.  I haven't cancelled my phone service with Cox Cable, yet, but I tested it using my cell phone tonight both incoming and outgoing and it works!!

It disgusts me that phone service is now provided by such firms as 'Magic Jack' or 'Cox Cable' nowadays.  I decry the break up of the AT &T.

[memphis]

People still pay for "minutes?"

[J. J.]

A tree was growing through my land-line.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

Interestly enough I just put a new portable land line phone in..........the cheap ass model we bought a few years ago broke, so I bought a new cheap ass model. 

[??????????]

People still pay for "minutes?"

Yes, under minute plans. Tell me, what magical world do you live in?

[memphis]

People still pay for "minutes?"

Yes, under minute plans. Tell me, what magical world do you live in?

The magical world where all calls on nights and weekends and all calls to other Sprint customers (all my family) don't count. The plan includes several hundred additional daytime to non-Sprint customer minutes. Even if I was on the phone constantly I couldn't use all the minutes. Thus, it's essentially an unlimited plan. I'd have to be telemarketing from my phone all day to go over and even then it'd be cheaper than paying for a landline.

[Countess Anya of the North Parish]

nope. It use to be my mom and i would have cells but i smashed my last year so just her now. But i check my email faster then texts anyway.

[??????????]

People still pay for "minutes?"

Yes, under minute plans. Tell me, what magical world do you live in?

The magical world where all calls on nights and weekends and all calls to other Sprint customers (all my family) don't count. The plan includes several hundred additional daytime to non-Sprint customer minutes. Even if I was on the phone constantly I couldn't use all the minutes. Thus, it's essentially an unlimited plan. I'd have to be telemarketing from my phone all day to go over and even then it'd be cheaper than paying for a landline.

Well yes, under Verizon I have a similar plan but they still sell the packages under the title of minute plans. I have the minimum plan of 700 minutes and maybe use half of that.

[cannonia]

It's useful for emergencies.

Not trying to be a dick. Just asking. In what sort of emergency would it be useful?

Power outages can knock out cell towers, and cell phone networks can be overloaded.

http://www.kingscountyoem.com/countykings/Documents/2010_FOW_Landline_vs_Cell_Phones.pdf

[minionofmidas]

It's useful for emergencies.

Not trying to be a dick. Just asking. In what sort of emergency would it be useful?

Power outages can knock out cell towers, and cell phone networks can be overloaded.

http://www.kingscountyoem.com/countykings/Documents/2010_FOW_Landline_vs_Cell_Phones.pdf

As happens around midnight on New Years Eve. Like clockwork.

[Bacon King]

It's useful for emergencies.

Not trying to be a dick. Just asking. In what sort of emergency would it be useful?

Power outages can knock out cell towers, and cell phone networks can be overloaded.

http://www.kingscountyoem.com/countykings/Documents/2010_FOW_Landline_vs_Cell_Phones.pdf

As happens around midnight on New Years Eve. Like clockwork.

And on a daily basis for a while in the afternoon for AT&T customers in New Orleans. Doesn't last long; the most annoying thing is that all the text messages people send me will suddenly all arrive at once after they pile up in the network for like an hour.

I've always had the suspicion that the cell phone infrastructure still isn't completely back in place after Katrina, but I don't really know.