Death knell for landlines - RANT

[k0ua]

I just asked my phone company again this morning if I can discontinue my land line phone and keep my Internet. Got the sad horizontal shake of the head. :no:

It is perfectly technically doable, and some companies will do sell it. It is called "dry DSL" in the industry. But a lot of companies will not do it. I am sure you know why. From a technical point of view, you just have to yank the pair of wires from the Central office equipment off of the DSLAM cross connect and leave the DSLAM hooked to the cable pair going to the field.

 

[300UGUY]

We got rid of our landlines several years ago. My wife's business is totally on her iPhone and iPad. The ADT alarm is cell based. Our internet is Uverse, I need to check the speeds. We have direct tv.

 

[Coyote machine]

Seems I can't completely discontinue my land line services, because supposedly it gives me E-911 access in addition to dial tone and fiber optics all to the NIB inside my garage.
If I tell VTel to pound the land line connection it would save me $22.62/mo in 'local services', BUT my fiber internet access would go from $38.74 to $59.++/mo.
I've been paying an additional $24.03/mo. for voicemail, call wait, forward, backward, and caller ID, etc.
This I will likely drop, and start telling everyone to call our cell phones if they want to reach us.

 

[ultrarunner]

Just looked over the Mom's landline... just basic with no added features... zero

It is close to $30 before any calls... Taxes, Recovery Fees, Service Charge, Mandated Fees...

 

[MossRoad]

Just looked over the Mom's landline... just basic with no added features... zero

It is close to $30 before any calls... Taxes, Recovery Fees, Service Charge, Mandated Fees...

If it makes you feel any better, our basic land line which has NO added features, after taxes is $41. I think before taxes and fees its about $25.

 

[sixdogs]

If it makes you feel any better, our basic land line which has NO added features, after taxes is $41. I think before taxes and fees its about $25.

Before I cancelled my land line last week, I looked at the $33 bill and it was more than 50% taxes. That sealed the deal. I'm not sure of the exact amount but I think it was around $19 or $20 in tax and $13 or $14 for the phone.

 

[k0ua]

Yeah, somewhere along the line our government's state federal and local decided to tax telecommunications to death.. I don't know why.

 

[stuckmotor]

They put the lines at the farm, under ground around 40 years ago. In the last few years my mother's phone got so much static that it was practically worthless. The phone company sent out the repairman who after many attempts seemed unable to fix it. They even ran a new line from the road to the house and the static kept coming back. That phone has now been replaced by a cell phone and that particular land line cancelled. One day we hope to learn to answer the cell phone without turning the darned thing off.

 

[Ken]

Yeah, somewhere along the line our government's state federal and local decided to tax telecommunications to death.. I don't know why.

James some one has to pay for all the free phones given to the willing to be non employed so they can stay in contact with the state unemployment office. the benefits are wonderful they don't want to give it up.
ken

 

[ovrszd]

I pay $50 p/month for the Landline that we rarely use. I pay $50 p/month for Internet service thru the landline company because I can't get it any other way that I'm aware of.

So,,,, is there a device that can be plugged into my Shop Laptop and my House Computer that equips them to use our AT&T Cell Phone service?? Then just buy a larger data plan for the Cell Phones and we're covered??? I have $100 p/month to spend on such a program before it's not cost effective......