Ditching your landline phone?

[sourceninja]

another consideration i have...

What about phone service during power outages?
Vonage and even this cellular service only last as long as the battery...

at least your landline has its own power source, and can be used with a basic bell telephone regardless of your electricity outage... assuming the lines themselves are still undamaged.

After recent winter years, it is not unheard of during 30 inch snows to go without power for 5-7 days at a time... this is also a concern.

It's been about 5 years for me without a home phone line. My wife and I each have cell phones with a google voice number acting as our "Home phone number".

I'm not worried about power outages because I realized I have not owned a corded phone in at least 10 years. Thus power outage still = no 911. I also am not worried about 911 in general because I have never called 911 in 31 years. I have a fire department literally next door as well. Vonage 911 service lets you register a address with them that they use to send you to the right 911 call center and forward them the correct information. It is however still a risk.

If you are really worried, cancel your phone service but keep a phone connected to the jack. You will need to test it, but if I recall correctly, any phone line active or not hooked to a phone network must be allowed to dial 911.

From wikipedia:

In the U.S., FCC rules require every telephone that can access the network to be able to dial 9-1-1, regardless of any reason that normal service may have been disconnected (including non-payment) (This only applies to states with a Do Not Disconnect policy in place. Those states must provide a "soft" or "warm" dial tone service, details can be found at http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Common_Carrier/Reports/FCC-State_Link/IAD/pntris99.pdf) On wired (land line) phones, this usually is accomplished by a "soft" dial tone, which sounds normal but will allow only emergency calls. Often, an unused and unpublished phone number will be issued to the line so that it will work properly. With regard to mobile phones, the rules require carriers to connect 9-1-1 calls from any mobile phone, regardless of whether that phone is currently active.[29] The same rules for inactive telephones apply in Canada.

 

[HardcoreRobot]

havent had one since 2000. havent missed it yet.

during 30" snows, emergency services arent going to get to you even if you can call them (at least not in my area). same goes for major natural disasters. you are gonna be on your own regardless of the state of the comms network. during irene, all along the east coast the government was saying if you dont evacuate, dont expect immediate emergency services. only scenario where i would consider a land line again is if i was living in an area with spotty cellular service

 

[Capt Caveman]

It's not nearly as accurate as you think. It'll get the first responders to the vicinity, but that's about it. Furthermore, the coordinates frequently stop at the dispatch office, where they write the run using the nearest address point to those coordinates. That's usually "close enough".

But they'll also know your address, two points of location information where as a land line only provides one. I haven't had a land line in 10+ years, no plans on changing.

 

[lxskllr]

You could always just tell 911 your address. 99.9:100 if you can pick up a phone, you can speak, and convey information. The rest isn't worth worrying about.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

I currently have Brighthouse's VOIP offering but am considering ditching it in favor of an Obitalk box and Google Voice with a supplemental 911 plan. The Obitalk is only $50 and I think I'll order one and test it prior to making the final call to discontinue Brighthouse voice service.

 

[dullard]

I ditched my land line a few years ago. Cell phone only for me. I'm not too worried about the miniscule possibility that I'll be alone, at home, have an emergency, can walk to a phone, but can't speak my location and can't walk outside to any other person for help. That odd combination of events seems so remote for a young healthy person, that I'll take the risk.

As for your post signature, that is a myth. There is no 26,911 word regulation on cabbage. There is basically no regulation at all on cabbage. About the most anyone on Anandtech has ever been able to find is a single paragraph that mentions cabbage in amongst a bunch of other vegetables. If I'm wrong, please post the regulations.

 

[sao123]

I ditched my land line a few years ago. Cell phone only for me. I'm not too worried about the miniscule possibility that I'll be alone, at home, have an emergency, can walk to a phone, but can't speak my location and can't walk outside to any other person for help. That odd combination of events seems so remote for a young healthy person, that I'll take the risk.

As for your post signature, that is a myth. There is no 26,911 word regulation on cabbage. There is basically no regulation at all on cabbage. About the most anyone on Anandtech has ever been able to find is a single paragraph that mentions cabbage in amongst a bunch of other vegetables. If I'm wrong, please post the regulations.

This is taken from the October 24, 1995 Issue of The National Review, quoted by David McIntosh. I display it merely as a general opinion on the bureaucracy as it exists now.

However the true origins of the quote comes from the OPA, Office of Price Administration during WW2.

if you want truth in the quote, i could easily substitute the 34,823 words in the FDA cheese regulation.
http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/CFRSearch.cfm?CFRPart=133&showFR=1

 

[zinfamous]

what...you didn't do that ~8 years ago?

wtf

 

[TwiceOver]

Why do people worry about 911 so much?

 

[dullard]

This is taken from the October 24, 1995 Issue of The National Review, quoted by David McIntosh. I display it merely as a general opinion on the bureaucracy as it exists now.

However the true origins of the quote comes from the OPA, Office of Price Administration during WW2.

if you want truth in the quote, i could easily substitute the 34,823 words in the FDA cheese regulation.
http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/CFRSearch.cfm?CFRPart=133&showFR=1

The WW2 OPA document is about 26000 words shorter than you claim: Snopes article on it shows that McIntosh was just spouting out the same false claim.

You can use that claim on the federal definition of various types of cheese if you wish. Although, there are hardly any regulations in that document, as they are mostly defintions as to how the different cheeses actually differ (for example, asiago old cheese is asiago fresh cheese that is aged not less than 1 year).

 

[Ns1]

The WW2 OPA document is about 26000 words shorter than you claim: Snopes article on it shows that McIntosh was just spouting out the same false claim.

You can use that claim on the federal definition of various types of cheese if you wish.

 

[Golgatha]

If this is true you need a generator, not a phone.

We ditched the land line years ago, as we were kind of in the same payment predicament you're in. Verizon was dinging us for $50/mo for a land line we were using *maybe* once a week for 10 minutes a pop.

Fuck that noise. We're now all cell. VOIP is pointless in our situation.

VOIP as an add-on should be priced at $10/month max. All providers want premium rates for something you can get for almost free anymore.

 

[GeekDrew]

Why do people worry about 911 so much?

It's really, really, really important, in the event that you need it.

 

[Scouzer]

I was cell phone only for a long time, but I really hate talking on a cell. I broke and got myself a VoIP phone which is a hell of a lot of grief but only costs me ~$7/mo.

 

[TwiceOver]

It's really, really, really important, in the event that you need it.

It's really, really, really important, in the event that you are NEARLY incapacitated. Otherwise you just speak to them your location.

I mean it's no different than your cell phone 911. Do people worry about 911 so much when they are outside their homes? Unless you're a shut in I would imagine you need to call 911 more often when you are not at home than when you are at home.

 

[BoomerD]

I'm guessing you have one of these phones?

HA-HA-HA...fuck you...asshole.

Nope, ditched the cell phones in 2009...and don't miss them a bit.

I think this is more BoomerDs speed.

disclaimer - My dad had 2 of these type (not connected) when I was growing up.

HEY! I have one of those...(like your dad's, not connected...just collecting dust)

 

[Linflas]

2 things prevent me from ditching my landline:

Atrocious voice quality of cell phones.
No unlimited long distance calling to Canada.

 

[cronos]

My 'land line' has been VoIP since more than 4 years ago (Charter/AT&T U-verse).

I still feel the need to have a static, dedicated phone line at home, but I don't care if it's through copper or not*

*The funny thing here is the AT&T U-verse phone actually is coming from a copper phone line entering my apartment, although the line contains everything else (phone, internet and tv) and it's useless until after the U-Verse box.

 

[TXHokie]

I use Ooma for landline. Free service for life, and E911 works, because they transmit my address if I dial 911.

This for me as well. Haven't pay a dime in two years.

 

[GeekDrew]

It's really, really, really important, in the event that you are NEARLY incapacitated. Otherwise you just speak to them your location.

Yes, *if* you know your current location *and* the dispatch office is able to determine your actual location by what you said.

For example, someone might tell the dispatcher that they live at "123 Mayberry Lane", because that's the address where they receive their mail. That's not necessarily the address of that property, though. Imagine that the parcel is on a corner lot. The house could have been numbered 123 WhoCaresAnyway or 9800 Mayberry Lane. Not liking any of those, the home owner put their mailbox on Mayberry Lane, and decided to start using 123 Mayberry Lane. The USPS, in their infinite wisdom, chose the policy that if the postal carrier knows where the mail is to go, they are to deliver it, even if the address is not correct. As a result, the home owner and his 11ty kids think that their address is 123 Mayberry Lane. Except they call 911 from a cell phone, and when they tell the dispatcher that their address is 123 Mayberry Lane, he sends the medics to 123 Mayberry Lane.... which might be at the other end of town, since their house is actually 9800 Mayberry Lane. And then there's the variations on street names, house numbers that were never assigned, house numbers that are out of sequence, etc.

This isn't a far-fetched situation. I see it at least a few times a week. People are stupid. They are adamant that they know what their address is, but they really haven't a clue. When they're corrected, they get pissed off and refuse to use the correct address. I generally don't believe any citizen that tells me their physical address, until I've verified it with either an engineer or auditor.

Land-line 911 includes (generally) the 911 physical address, not necessarily what the home owner thinks is his/her address (or worse yet, some mailing address).

 

[IcePickFreak]

I swear we had this convo in OT not too long ago. Either way, I haven't had a landline since 2000. I survived winter storm power outages no problem. I suppose if I were way out in the sticks I'd be a bit more concerned about having a land line, but being in the burbs in the middle of a neighborhood with stores close by a phone isn't really necessary for those situations.

 

[Ns1]

Yes, *if* you know your current location *and* the dispatch office is able to determine your actual location by what you said.

For example, someone might tell the dispatcher that they live at "123 Mayberry Lane".

what another narrow set of circumstances.

WHAT IF I'M BEING ROBBED AND SOMEONE CUTS MY TELEPHONE LINE!?

land line 911 = you're fucked


see what happens if you play the what-if game all day?

 

[GTaudiophile]

I am trying to debate VONAGE or OOMA for my dad (61).

He needs unlimited domestic calling, voice mail, and the ability to make LD calls to Germany at low/no rates.

Suggestions?

 

[Capt Caveman]

what another narrow set of circumstances.

WHAT IF I'M BEING ROBBED AND SOMEONE CUTS MY TELEPHONE LINE!?

land line 911 = you're fucked


see what happens if you play the what-if game all day?

Or a tree falls and takes out your landline. Oh noes!

 

[alkemyst]

The main problem with no land line is in any real disaster the cell towers will be over subscribed. You would still be able to dial out on a landline.

Just get a basic line and keep a non-cordless phone around.

my home security system also uses my land line as well as a dedicated GSM circuit.