<p>USF = Universal Subscriber Fee.</p>
<p>Oh, I’d love to ditch my landline. I don’t want to talk on the phone after 5 p.m. anyway. I do keep it because I have an office in the home. Our cell phone service quality is just not at a level where I feel comfortable with client conversations. I hate straining through fuzz and static.</p>
<p>Not being in the phonebook? Wow, I see that as a BIG positive. (can you tell I HATE talking on the phone?)</p>
<p>I am so jealous of everyone (seems like everyone!) who can consider the bundled packages. We live in a rural area and every service is provided by a different company. I don’t see this changing anytime soon. Landline-$25/month; long distance-~$20; DirecTV-$60; wireless internet-$60 (ug-faster than dial-up, but MUCH worse than DSL/broadband) & cell service.</p>
<p>If someone finds using a cellphone awkward for all the time, you can buy a base that holds it and which allows you to use multiple handsets that feed through the cellphone.</p>
<p>We have a landline with a corded phone plugged into it – no electricity required. </p>
<p>When a tornado hit this area a year ago, we were without electricity for 2 days and had to sit in our cars to charge our cell phones (which frequently didn’t work due to overloading).</p>
<p>This is an interesting subject. I know several people, my brother included, who only have cell phones. I still have my landline. In addition to the cordless phone in the house I have 2 hard wired rotary dial phones (one in the garage and one in the basement) that my son and his friends find amusing. I do love those phones, if I ever move they are going with me!</p>
<p>The 911 issue is a valid one. I used to work for a phone company and your 911 address is tied into your landline phone number. For some people that may not be an issue.</p>
<p>One last thing to verify is your home owners insurance policy. A friend of mine checked with her insurance agent as they were considering going cell phone only and found out the insurance company would not cover some damages if there was a home emergency (fire etc) because of the 911 issue.</p>
<p>And what happens when the power goes out - my neighbor could not recharge his cell phone and his voip did not work.</p>
<p>And the power was out for two weeks!!</p>
<p>*And what happens when the power goes out *</p>
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<p>we got rid of our landline also
The only calls we ever got on the landline were surveys or robocalls
now, no more!
:D</p>
<p>What about banks & institutions that want a landline number to call to confirm that you’re really you? I know you can give a call #, but cells are often lost/stolen. Just curious about this.</p>
<p>Have heard of some having problems with their cell phones when the power is out, but I guess that could just as easily be a problem with landlines.</p>
<p>Wow, being out of power for 2 weeks could be a major problem, especially for the medically fragile!</p>
<p>In our area the sheriff uses reverse 911 to inform you if there is an emergency. This has been used in cases of fire and also when they are searching for someone in the area. The decrease in landlines has been a problem. We now can register our cell phone numbers with the sheriff’s department for reverse 911 purposes. I am not sure if that works the other direction also.</p>
<p>Landlines generally have their own power systems and generally work during wider power failures.</p>