Does anyone provide a landline that's not VOIP for a reasonable amount?

[Anonymous]

We moved and went without a landline for the past three months however I am missing it somewhat. I hate feeling like I need to keep my cell phone with me as I move through the house and in certain instances, feel like we need a land line for safety (i.e. left the babysitter). Our internet connection can be a little spotty so I'm hesitant to get VOIP and it seems like every place I look, it's VOIP available. Who provides phone services over a good ol fashioned phone line?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We moved and went without a landline for the past three months however I am missing it somewhat. I hate feeling like I need to keep my cell phone with me as I move through the house and in certain instances, feel like we need a land line for safety (i.e. left the babysitter). Our internet connection can be a little spotty so I'm hesitant to get VOIP and it seems like every place I look, it's VOIP available. Who provides phone services over a good ol fashioned phone line?

Is this the trend? Someone told me something similar.

[Anonymous]

Have you called Verizon and asked about their basic service offering? You do not have to buy a package, they have other options. If you (or the prior resident) have FIOS this may no longer be an option, but I do not think they have pulled the copper from houses until someone takes FIOS.

We have a traditional landline from RCN, but we have been having problems with our box on the house and the technician told me that if the box goes the only option is VoIP.

The way to look at VoIP service is that your cellphone is the back up should your broadband or power go down.

Also, I have yet to run across a babysitter that does not have a cellphone.

[Anonymous]

You should be able to get a DECT cordless phone that works off your cell-- which would solve the first issue you mentioned.

[Anonymous]

I have my landline bundled with my FIOS and it's $10/mo. If I were to break the bundle my cable/internet would increase. I like the peace of mind that comes with a land line. If someone has to call 911, house address data is transferred to the 911 operator so if someone is at the house and doesn't know it or is unable to speak, they have your location info.

[Anonymous]

VoIP also transfers your address data to 911 calls, it is the law that your provider has to keep these records up to date. If you use a third party VoIP provider (meaning it is not part of your broadband package) if you move you need to update your 911 records.

Just because you have a Verizon landline with FOIS does not mean that it is the same as a traditional (copper) phone line. The copper was powered off premises and did not go down when your house lost power. Your FIOS phone has an 8 hour back-up battery. Not 8 hours of talk time, 8 hours. The next generation phone network is different. The upside is great bandwidth for broadband, the downside is battery back-up for a power outage. If you take VoIP, your "landline" will go down with either a broadband problem or a power outage, if you take a "landline" provided over fiber (FOIS around here), your phone will work for 8 hours in a power outage. In either case, it is rare and you have a cell phone.

[Anonymous]

All of the advocates for cell phones forget that often, as is the case in CA with the fires, in Lake County for example 20% of the towers were down. Ok, you say, 20%, that's not a lot but what if YOU are in that 20%? Should a fire reach an onsite fuel storage for the generators, they will explode causing a bigger fire. Mobile phones depend on cell towers. Cell towers can be compromised. Also, should your electricity be out for longer than eight hours as is frequently the case during hurricanes and tornadoes, how do you charge the phone? With VOiP,once the power is out, the internet goes because the router is not powered.

Techwalla has this to say: Cellular services depend upon antennas and base stations to connect calls from one tower to another and to other cellular and landline providers. Assuming your cell phone is fully charged, power outages can still call cause problems at cell towers, cell company switching equipment, other cell service and landline providers, and business and residential users.

Get a real landline, during the California Earthquake of 1994, the power in my neighborhood was out for 3 days but my car phone worked - intermittantly - but the landline worked.

[Anonymous]

That anon is a freaking idiot. She didn’t ask for a sakes pitch for internet phone you asshole.

[Anonymous]

VoIP is a tracking device