Home telephone land lines still?

[markm]

What are your thoughts on keeping a telephone land line intact at your home?

I've always kept mine, but the line just went dead. So I either pay to repair it, or just go all wireless. I've always felt that a land line had some back up communication value.

[HCrum87hc]

I've never had a land line since I moved out of my parent's house and haven't needed one, but I could certainly see the benefit as a backup communication option.

[Hank6046]

I've never had a land line since I moved out of my parent's house and haven't needed one, but I could certainly see the benefit as a backup communication option.

Same. My brother in law called 911 on a rotary dial when his/ my wifes grandfather had a stroke and fell because the cell service was down after a horrible windstorm last month. I thought about my own home and how crappy cell service I get when I'm in my basement

[FromMyColdDeadHand]

We have to have one for our home security, but that was 15 years ago. Considering how crappy Comcast cable is, I wouldn’t depend on them to order a pizza.

[markm]

A service call starts at $95. If for some reason "their" line is the issue, it would be no charge. I can't decide. I've been paying $47 per month for a line I almost never use, but on the other hand, I don't want to regret shutting it off.

[chuckman]

We have one only because it's part of the fiber package with AT& T. Otherwise we would go entirely wireless.

If it were me, I would not pay to have it repaired I would just go wireless.

[JDH1]

I have a VOIP line now, no POTS. Since everything is done by e-mail now, with no longer a need to fax things I'm seriously considering dropping it.

[Defaultmp3]

I personally use a satellite communicator as a back-up to my cellphone (Garmin inReach). It might have a slower response time than a landline in normal circumstances, but the odds of the cellular connection being down in normal circumstances in my area is pretty small. I also thus have the ability to communicate when out of cellular range in general, e.g., in the backcountry. Granted, I will need to be outside in the yard to get proper satellite reception, but that's likely not going to be an issue except in the most extreme of circumstances.

Note that many smartphones also allow for WiFi calling, so even if the cellular service is down, you can still call emergency services, though you should set that up properly so that it knows your location beforehand, rather than relying on having to tell dispatch explicitly where you are.

[donlapalma]

Can't you still call 911 on a "dead" or inactive landline? Thought I heard that somewhere. Could be worth a question to the phone company.

[markm]

Can't you still call 911 on a "dead" or inactive landline? Thought I heard that somewhere. Could be worth a question to the phone company.

Not on this line. It's DEAD dead. It's possible the dogs dug something up, but I haven't had time to look.