Ah. We had made it over 2 years without the telemarketing scammers

I knew a guy who was reluctant to get a mobile... he held out until around 2014 or so.  You're my new longest hold-out.  Congrats!

I can't argue with you.  I rarely use my mobile as a phone... it's mostly just a camera and computer that I carry around with me everywhere I go, and if you don't need those things, then don't have them.    (I "need" my computer... I'm constantly Googling things.)

I actually own a mobile phone. It makes phone calls and can send and receive texts. I put ten pounds on it last year, and it still has nine pounds and change on it. I only use it as an emergency contact phone if I go out or when we are traveling. I really dislike "being connected" all the time.  I managed for 50 years not have to be plugged in to instant messages, etc., just fine. After watching people  sitting at the same table in a restaurant all on their phones instead of talking to each other, and people on their phones walking down the street and falling into bushes, etc., I'm pretty sure they are not a good idea. 

Besides they are outrageously expensive for the purpose they serve, generally.

I rather like having a landline. It doesn't run out of batteries, and works even when the power goes out. 

And rather sadly, it looks like I'm going to have to give up my old cell phone when we return to the USA. They are shutting off the 2 and 3G networks at the end of the year. Just like when they shut off the original network, it looks like I'm going to be forced to upgrade to a newer type of phone. 

Got this from my old service provider in the States (Ting) this week:

When will 3G be shut down?

Exact 3G shutdown dates vary between the “Big Four” U.S. wireless service providers. And while their final shutdown dates range between the end of this year and 2022, they’ve already started decommissioning their towers and other infrastructure. If you’re currently experiencing issues like missed calls, and texts, slow connections or malfunctioning voicemail, you could be using a susceptible device in an affected area. As for 2G, that technology has gone the way of the dodo on all networks except T-Mobile, which will be shutting it off at the end of 2020. That’s why we’ll mostly focus on 3G.

How will this affect me?

While 3G is an aging technology, a recent report estimated that 17 percent of U.S. subscribers use 3G networks. That’s a far-from-insignificant 47.3 million people. Naturally, these mobile users have no choice other than upgrading their devices to continue receiving cellular service. However, even if you have a newer phone that won’t be affected, the 2G and 3G network shutdown may still affect you. For instance, many IoT (Internet of Things) devices and their controllers use 3G modems, as well as associated technologies like GPRS. In short, you could be in for an unwelcome surprise when they shut down support in your area and you wake up the next day to find your older smartwatch or refrigerator has suddenly become quite dumb.

It’s also important to note these network upgrades can actually affect certain 4G devices. When 3G infrastructure is decommissioned, this not only negatively affects users with 3G devices but also 4G phones that don’t support Voice over LTE aka VoLTE technology. This is known as HD Voice on Verizon-supported networks, and if you’ve received the error message, “as a result of network upgrades your device is no longer supported on Verizon,” unfortunately, your phone falls into that category.

To avoid finding yourself experiencing limited or a total loss of service, your best bet is to ensure you have a “future-proofed” phone. In short, you’ll want, for the very least, a modern 4G/LTE phone that supports VoLTE. In the next couple of years, all voice calls will be made over LTE networks and will therefore require this technology. As always, you should purchase an unlocked phone to give yourself the freedom to choose the carrier that best suits you

One thing I like about a mobile and no landline is that I have it automatically set to “do not disturb” during the hours 22:30 to 07:00 unless it someone on my favorites list. Any genuine callers during those hours can leave  a message.

Many years ago we were woken at 3:30 am by our friends in Australia which was not that unusual for them to mess up the time difference but what was funny was that they had first dialed an incorrect number, and the lady that answered recognized a strange accent and immediately said that he had the wrong number and gave him our number.  Our numbers were very similar so it had happened before  plus she was a friend of ours and knew that the caller had a similar very strong northeast England accent to mine.

Telemarketing on mobile numbers simply doesn't happen.

Not the same was as it did on landlines, but I still occasionally get robocalls where a recorded voice says 'Hello? [pause] I heard you were involved in a car accident?' at which point I hang up and block/report the number. These have been coming less often. I don't know if that's a reflection of their lack of effectiveness, or if Google is getting better at filtering out spam calls before they ever get to me (I'm using an Android phone). I look forward to the day when Google turns on call screening for the UK.

One thing I like about a mobile and no landline is that I have it automatically set to “do not disturb” during the hours 22:30 to 07:00 unless it someone on my favorites list.

My "do not disturb" is Sunday to Thursday nights from 10pm to 8am.

I just turn the ringer off and let the answering machine take messages unless I am waiting for a specific call. Works just fine that way!