Landlines vs mobile phones

I just got off the phone with my 79 year old grandmother who just can't understand that I do not have or want a landline. Every two or three months she asks me for my "home phone number" and I have to explain to her that I don't have one and don't need one. I tried to explain Skype to her and she just couldn't understand the idea of talking on the phone through a computer.

I started thinking about it, and I can't think of any of my friends who are anywhere near my age who have a landline. It almost makes me wonder if in a few years/generations landlines are going to be a thing of the past.

My mother (56) couldn't figure out how to use my iPhone. She asked to use it and I pulled up the keypad for her to be able to dial. I checked back a couple minutes later and she was looking at it, taking off the cover, and trying to find the keypad, hehe.  

So what about other people? Do you have a landline, cell phone (mobile   ) or both?

I think I have too many numbers!

Tim and I have a landline at the house. I have a UK mobile and a US mobile (for now. The US mobile will get turned off when I move).  In addition to both mobiles, I have 2 Skype numbers (a US number and a UK number), as well as a Google Voice number (so my US friends can still text me).  My UK Skype number will expire after I move, we only bought it so while Tim was visiting his family could call, so I'll be down two numbers in January!

We have a landline for the home & mobiles (both DH & I have mobiles). We have a landline because we need it to have our Broadband internet service and it is less expensive for my family to call our landline vs our mobiles. We have the same mobile service PAYG through O₂ so we get free texts & calls to each other for 10GBP each per month...to me Skype is a PITA, that and I hate the way it sounds and not being able to have a private conversation if we happen to have visitors and my family calls since it's just like having speakerphone. Just my 2p.

to me Skype is a PITA, that and I hate the way it sounds and not being able to have a private conversation if we happen to have visitors and my family calls since it's just like having speakerphone. Just my 2p.

We have a handset, so it doesn't have to be like speakerphone, but I guess everyone can still see, if not hear, what's going on.  I do think Skype is very cool.  I also use it to call people back home on their landlines (cost about 2p a minute) who don't have Skype.  I also use it to call my bank back home (when necessary) and stuff like that.  If it's an 800 number you're calling it is free, otherwise, 2p per minute--not bad!

My hubby and I have cell phones (and I have a US cellphone as well), but no landline.  I think maybe Grandma would at least sort of understand Skype if she saw it in action.  She's got to understand that having a landline is just an extra bill you don't need.

I have a mobile and a home phone.  I'm lucky that the home phone service though Tiscali gives us 1 hour a day of free calls to the US.  Our broadband, cable and home phone are 25 pounds a month through Tiscali.  So really a great deal.  This way when the friends or family in the states call, I can ring them right back.

I only use the mobile for local use (mostly mobile to mobile)  and I call any 0845 or 0870 numbers from the home phone because O2 charge me a fortune on the mobile for these prefixes.

Good luck to you.

Skype has a deal where you can call any landline or mobile number in the US for £3.39/month. DH bought me the Binatone Internet Phone to make calls on so Im not stuck to the computer when I make calls to friends and family and Ive not had any serious issues with it.

We have a landline because we need it to have our Broadband internet service and it is less expensive for my family to call our landline vs our mobiles.

Same for us.  Back in the US I quit having a landline phone in about 2005 or so, as there didn't seem to be much point.

We also have a landline because we need it for broadband and we both have cellphones. 

Just as a side note, I know Weby mentioned it is cheaper for people in the US to call a landline than a mobile phone...well my mom is with Verizon and they have an international plan that cost $12/month and she gets 300 "free" minutes to England.  In case any of you have family with Verizon that call you a lot, it's a good deal.  The same plan charges $0.21/minute just to connect to a cellphone (the actual minutes of usage are still free but that is the connection fee that UK mobile companies charge Verizon to connect the call  ).

If we were in the US, we wouldn't have a landline- I didn't have a landline for the last 3 years before moving over here, and I didn't miss it.

Here, I still feel the need to have a landline, but mobiles are getting cheaper and cheaper all the time so I'm sure in a few years we may not need one. We'll see.  (We don't need a landline for internet, as we have cable.)

Landlines are the only phones required by the US government to work in an electrical failure situation.  The decreasing number of landlines is a huge issue for ER managers in the US. 

If you live in an area that is prone to disasters, you really should have a landline. 

Skype has a deal where you can call any landline or mobile number in the US for £3.39/month. DH bought me the Binatone Internet Phone to make calls on so Im not stuck to the computer when I make calls to friends and family and Ive not had any serious issues with it.

Where did you find the 3.39 deal on Skype??  Right now I'm using Pennytalk (because my Mom doesn't like to use Skype) and it's costing me a small fortune.  I'm looking for this Internet Phone right now...


We have a landline at home.  I have hubby's old PAYG phone with o2 however I'm thinking of switching, because my £10 top up got me hardly any minutes.  Anyone want to recommend a service or different plan with o2?


ETA:  I found the Binatone phone at Argos.com- currently it's half off- making it £20, so I've reserved one to pick up tomorrow!!! I'm stoked!!! This is going to make calling the US sooo much easier and cost effective.  I was going to try Talkster, however I'm sure my Mom would've got frustrated figuring it out.  Thanks sooo much Redneckyank!  Still looking for that 3.39/mo Skype deal though...

Nevermind, found it- it's £6.95/mo for world calls which is sweet!  Its good for landlines and mobiles in the US and I can even call Thailand for that too (my foreign exchange sister lives there).  Totally freaking awesomesauce!!!!!

No landline in use.  We have a BT line for sky and broadband internet, but we don't have a phone attached.  I have a UK mobile and a PAYG US mobile.  We also brought our Vonage (voip) adaptor with us, so we effectively brought our Boston phone number with us.  We use Vonage for calls to/from the US and use our mobiles for everything else. 

I hadn't had a "true" landline in the US for 8 years.  We either bought a cable bundle that included phone service or we used Vonage. 

I have the Skype app on my iPhone, and use that for calls when I'm out of the UK and can locate a wifi hotspot. 

I just set up the whole Skype monthly subscription thing.  Basically I paid £6.95 per month for unlimited world calls (of course not to every country).  Also paid an extra £10 to have a US number assigned to my Skype (so my Mom can call a local number and it'll ring my skype).  If skype isn't on the calls will forward to my landline (was included in subscription), and if I don't answer that then it'll go to Skype voicemail.  All in all, I'm STOKED!  Thanks Redneckyank... I've used Skype for over a year and had no idea all this other stuff even existed!

We have both.  Our landline is on a package that includes TV & broadband.  Also, living in a stone house, mobile reception can be patchy at best in some areas of the house.  DH's mobile is completely free through his work.  I have PAYG but will probably be switching to a contract plan soon-ish...maybe to an I-phone now that Orange started selling them!  Yay! 

 

Landlines are the only phones required by the US government to work in an electrical failure situation.  The decreasing number of landlines is a huge issue for ER managers in the US. 

If you live in an area that is prone to disasters, you really should have a landline. 

Having lived through quite a few hurricanes in the US - and although not diaster prone here- I have always maintained a landline for that reason.

Also, I need it for my broadband.  Since I don't pay anything for the phone to be on there, and get free nights and weekends, really, I only pay for line rental, its not a hassle for me to have one.

I love skype though for talking to my family!!