We got rid of our landline almost 4 years ago. We have internet and for TV we use DirecTV. The only time that might not be good is if the lines are jammed or towers downed by a hurricane such as Ike, or a tornado. Keeping them charged in a power outage calls for having a battery-run charger, lots of batteries. I don't recommend using your car to do it, as it can eat that battery if your power is out for a good period of time.

Given that I can't live without internet, I decided to dump my land line and switch to Voice over IP at $20 a year. it has voicemail ( with email messages), free calls in US and Canada, 911 service, 800 services, and it works evreywhere internet is available, including in Hotels and restos, evreywhere in the world! I could sit in a bar in Africa and if internet is avallable, My call home is a local call! How can I go wrong?

For me, moving to a rural town meant a return to a landline - otherwise, I would have no Internet. There is no cable company and satellite is prohibitively expensive. The line is local calls only (911) , no one has the number. We use the cell phones everything else (pre-paid for affordable cell service/data).

Cell Data with a turbo card is available for sure, but it gets pricey. However, if you drop the land line and use Magic Jack on your laptop, I bet it's cheaper

Cell phones cause brain cancer.

@jamieandjeff: So far that is speculative.
From the National Cancer Institute at the NIH:
"Studies thus far have not shown a consistent link between cell phone use and cancers of the brain, nerves, or other tissues of the head or neck. More research is needed because cell phone technology and how people use cell phones have been changing rapidly."

http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/cellphones

notice how the only comment jamieandjeff have ever made here on HOUZZ was here on this subject.

I take a minimalist approach to using my mobile for calls to try to reduce my radiation exposure. Any exposure to radiation should be as low as reasonably achievable. If you have a choice use the landline. Simples.

"Landline", but only for the DSL internet connection it provides.

Actually talking to people is cellphone only.

A landline is great, particularly in area where cell phone signal is weak or drops frequently. I conduct business solely on my cell phone for the most part. The office has a landline but each designer is reachable by their cell numbers.

Our ATT bundle of landline and internet would cost more without landline that we never use.

My security system provider recently made a non-landline system available and I was all set to get rid of my landline until I talked to a good friend that runs the county wide 911 system. She insisted I keep my landline for emergencies, oh well, its not that expensive. One of the best purchases I've made recently was the Panasonic phone system that uses bluetooth to connect to my cell phone as well as the having the landline. I was always missing my cell phone calls at home because I couldn't hear it ring unless I was right next to it. With the bluetooth connection my cell phone rings into my wireless phone system so I don't miss calls while at home and can use the wireless handsets to answer cell phone calls at home.

What's a landline? Lol.
The last year I had a landline the only calls that came in were telemarketers.

OOMA

Rachel said "simples" . Meerkats! Cell phones only.

Cell Phone Only works!! Landlines dead

I don't have a cell phone, We have a land line, though my husband has a cell. It could've come in handy a couple of times though - but those incidents haven't made me change my mind yet!

Good to have both. Cell phones get lost, dropped & damaged, stolen, loses signal, etc. If you are in a condo or secure building where you need to get buzzed in a cell won't do; or if you are on a beach/coastline, in some hills or mountains, cell phones don't always work.
Cells a great when you're out and about. Not likely that your landline will be lost or stolen.

I have a land line at the house which I use when I'm at home, and a cell phone I rarely use that I carry for emergencies when out of the house. The primary reason I have a land line is because I live on a dangerous curve in the road and there are frequently accidents in front of my home. When I call 911 from the land line the ambulance and police get there quicker because my address shows up on their system. I'm near a county border so if I use my cell phone to call 911, sometimes I get my county and other times I have to be transferred to the correct county depending on what tower picks up my call.

Here's a link to see some of the accidents, I'm collecting photos to try to get the State to do something about this stretch of road: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1074814064629.2013582.1054524325&type=1&l=290e8e540b

Landline all the way!! I don't even pick up my cell phone when I'm in the house. When I come in I put both of my cell phones in my office on the charging dock and forget all about them. Cell phones are so uncomfortable to talk on to me. Some get hot and are too small to hold for hour long conversations. And I don't like sticking a Bluetooth in my ear. I remember during the earthquake and power was out in our neighborhood for almost a week, my house phone was still working. I recall my neighbors going to their cars to recharge the cell phones.

Ok I have att phone, internet and tv and pay around $200. + a month. I want to get rid of it and go to an antenna for my TV, and maybe netflix or something similar, but still need high speed internet. Also I need a phone that will work with a fax and home alarm any suggestions out there please :)

Internet is a must. Assuming you will keep it, buy a magic Jack at radio shack which will provide a phone line, voice mail with email alert, free LD in america and Canada and alarm system compatibility, for $20 a year! Beat that.

Dianamite, you need to get VOIP Voice Over Internet. Do what they call Porting your phone# and you can own your current phone number. My husband did it for us about 6 years ago. We now only pay something under $3/month for our home phone and the rest is our Comcast Cable and our Dishnetwork.

Landlines: The 911 emergency system for police and ambulances is set up to work with landlines ONLY. As is the around the neck, Senior Citizen emergency systems for seniors who live alone. The "I''ve fallen and can't get up" system.

MAGIC JACK: My friend bought a Magic Jack for her computer. There is no way to call her home phone or for her phone/Magic Jack to take a message. Worthless!!

I am afraid your friend did not configure the magic jack properly. It works great and you can even set up an E-911 service on it.

Ok sounds like maybe a magic jack will do for a phone line but what about a fax machine? Also anyone out there using antennas anymore for your tv? I'm thinking antenna and netflix with a roku, thoughts?

We use a digital antenna. We get 11 channels including all major networks. It works great for us.

It is my experience that it works for an alarm system and a fax machine, which transmit data using the same principles. You can try the antenna at Costco.com, worse case, you can return it. http://www.costco.com/Winegard-Flatwave-Non-Amplified-HDTV-Indoor-Antenna-FL5050C-.product.100047906.html?catalogId=10701&keyword=antenna&langId=-1&storeId=10301

We have limited choices here for phone, data, and TV/Radio; so. Our package includes our data access and streaming, a land line to provide signals over, and such.

I have a smartphone and have actually managed to have this one survive the contract, it's all mine now; and as much as I love and hate it; you'd have to chop my arm off to get it away from me. The features on the phone have paid for itself on several occasions. Now if you want to get ahold of me, call the cell. If I need to call somewhere and spend forever on hold, I will sit and use the landline. My spouse? Has the cheapest disposaphone made, just for emergencies. Most of the time they're with me so we can abuse my phone....

The main features my phone has going for it is the built in camera; being able to look something up on the road (say our Amazon Wishlist) or the rare jack it in and turn on the wifi to make hotel reservations or download a map to the tablet (wifi burns the battery dead in 3 min otherwise). I have also used it as a travel alarm; it keeps my schedule and appointments... A favorite with the camera is where you have to write bin/tag data down for bulk purchases--I just take a picture of the bin and show it to the clerk; they can key whatever they need off the picture.

www très bonne idée

I now have MagicJack, which plugs directly into my modem, and works when my computer is off. It works great, no issues, and I am saving a lot of money every month.

911 Unique Challenges Posed by Wireless Phones

Wireless phones create unique challenges for emergency response personnel and wireless service providers. Since wireless phones are mobile, they are not associated with one fixed location or address. While the location of the cell site closest to the 911 caller may provide a general indication of the caller’s location, that information is not usually specific enough for rescue personnel to deliver assistance to the caller quickly.
When considering eliminating a landline be sure to inquire about the "PSAP" (Public Safety Answering Points) capabilities of your specific mobile handset.

We kept our landline. Whenever there is a hurricane in our area, the first thing to get jammed is the cell lines. Also, we have kids so I don't want to depend on the babysitter having her own phone. Much easier to make sure we have one in the event of emergencies.

I use my landline way more than my cell phone. I can't get used to the horrible call quality of cell phones, and when someone calls me at home on my cell, I'll ask if I can call them right back from my landline.

We have a land line and each a cell with different numbers. I use the landline for everything unless out running errands and need to call someone. I hate the cells! One person can hear conversation unless place on speaker mode and you can never be certain that where you are will get a strong enough signal to take or make a call. They are good for an emergency. Am very old fashion and don't see the need for everyone in the family to have one. Do like the emails and pictures sent from phones and computers, getting the hang of that now.

I want to get rid of our landline but we have to keep it for our security system.

We have both. I'd just assume ditch the landline but we've had the number forever and every so often we will receive a call from and old friend that still has the number

Check out RepeaterStore.com for cell phone amplification systems for home and office. Repeaters work well in buildings with metal roofs or in building spaces with low signal coverage. Units available for signal boosting up to 6,000 to 25,000 sq. ft of coverage.

I don't have a landline. I am more often out of the house than in the house, so it is actually easier to reach me on my cellphone. I do not have a phone plans; that is why I use Skype as a landline. The quality is sometimes not the best, but it is for free and has an option for video and chat.

I have both, I couldn't imagine living without a landline.

We finally dropped the phone line when my daughter got a cell phone from her fav uncle. My son already had a free one from his work, and I had a prepaid one with unlimited minutes that fit my calling very well. The only person using the landline was my daughter and telemarketers. Now I only miss it when I have to fax something. I go down to Staples and pay them a couple of dollars. Still cheaper than the $37 a month the line ran. (And that was with my discount). My cell runs $40 plus tax, daughter is $30 plus tax, son is still free. Even my 72 yr old mom went to cell only when she realized that she could call and talk unlimited long distance for $35 a month, and telemarketers don't call!

I just realized I do have a landline haha not even hooked up to a phone it's a fax

I was working for Cellular One for the 4 months after Hurricane Katrina. The only phones working and they were few, were landlines. Katrina had taken out all but the northernmost towers, and replacing them took much more time and money than restringing landline wires.

Here's one of the reasons.......Kern County Fire Department

2 hrs · Bakersfield ·

KCFD would like to alert the public of a phone service outage affecting the Kern River Valley.

AT&T is reporting a cellular phone service outage affecting most of the Kern River Valley area. Cellular phone calls, including 9-1-1 calls, are being affected. The outage does not appear to be affecting AT&T land line service at this time. AT&T is estimating the service will be affected until the afternoon of January 7th.

KCFD would like to inform members of the public who are in need of emergency services to use caution if calling from an AT&T cellular service line and use an alternate cellular service or land line if possible until the outage is repaired

We ditched the land line at home and office.

We still have our landline. I don't want to be bothered by dental appointment reminders and the like. My cell phone is for the important people in my life. Cordless phones also are much better to talk on and multitask than a smartphone. I can clean my house, change diapers, do a craft, make dinner, etc. without dropping it or having it slip out of place. When my young kids talk with their grandad long distance, we can translate what their trying to say on the other line or more than one kids can talk to him at the same time. Also, with young kids, I think it's important to be able to contact someone in an emergency. They can easily pick up the landline phone and dial 911 (and they don't need to know our address), but would have no idea how to use our smart phones to call for help.

I like having a land line. The reception is so much better! My cell phone only friends love their phones, but what a pain in the you-know-what to try to have a clear conversation with them without drop outs, distortions, and garbled words! How many times can I say, 'Can you please repeat that? or what did you say?' Also, doesn't not having a land line require you to carry your cell phone up and down the stairs and around the house to hear it?

I also like having a land line. It's more reliable than a cell, even when the power is out! I'm also not convinced that cell phones will not give us cancer.

Only negative comment we have after 4 years is the batteries refuse to recharge on their own !!!??