Does Anyone Still Use Home Phone Service?
Many of us left the home phone behind when mobile phones became mainstream. But are we all ready to ditch our home phone service? Maybe not. There are times when a home phone is useful, even in the age of mobile phones.
Cell phones have replaced the old landline phones in many homes around the world. The advantages of smartphone technology far outweigh the limitations of old landline phones. However, mobile phones have issues as well. And if you have a family with kids, you probably have multiple phones, which can be quite expensive even with a shared family plan. A family plan with 4 or more lines can cost between $120 and
$200 a month for phone service.
Loss of Privacy
In the old days of landline phones, you could expect a degree of privacy. People knew not to call you during dinner and after a certain hour at night, usually around 10
p.m. Those were the rules of telephone etiquette. These days, parents complain that their kids’ cell phones have taken over their lives. Texting after lights out, during meal times, and in-app game purchases are a few issues they struggle with.
Then there is the constant distraction of multiple ringing phones at family gatherings or in a movie theater; safety issues like using the phone while driving, and the worry about prolonged exposure to lithium-ion batteries and possible health problems.
Smartphones are Expensive to Replace
We may think that our communication devices have come a long way, and they have, but at what cost? Cell phones are costly, at $800 to $1,000 for an iPhone 13. They are expensive to buy and expensive to replace when they break. As technologically advanced as they are, they don’t last forever. Eventually, they will need to be replaced with yet another expensive phone.
Is there anything out there that’s better? Something that uses cellphone technology but in a less expensive package and without copper wiring? The days of POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service) are ending. The FCC has issued a mandate requiring
all major telephone providers to phase out copper phone lines and replace them with wireless or fiber optics by August 2022.
What is VOIP
VOIP stands for Voice Over Internet Protocol. It’s a technology that allows you to make and receive phone calls over the internet. With a VOIP phone, you no longer have to pay a monthly fee for your landline, but instead, pay a flat rate for unlimited calls to other users on the same network. A good example of how VOIP works today is Skype. If you’ve used Skype to call friends or family members who also use the service, you’ve used VOIP without even knowing it!
VOIP services are often called “home phone service” because they allow you to use your existing home phone number to make calls through your internet connection.
You can also use your home phone number to receive calls on your computer or smartphone.
VOIP has a lot of benefits, and phone service plans are cheap, compared to what you pay your cell phone provider.
