fiasconva
Member
Just got a call from AT&T stating as of May 1st they will no longer offer landline service for my area. I just hope switching over to Verizon won't be too much trouble. Anyone else experiencing this with AT&T?
AT&T dropping my landline service.
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We are thinking of dropping AT&T on our combo due to the price they are so prode of and don't even care to offer to give you a reduction........
and $32 a month for a wall phone you can't move, is just crazy.
and $32 a month for a wall phone you can't move, is just crazy.
My mother has had a AT&T landline for 49 years. For the first 45 or so years it was pretty much trouble free, but the last couple of years she's had numerous problems with static and making and receiving calls.
My guess would be AT&T is diverting more resources to their growing number of cell phone customers and less to their shrinking number of land line users. So it would not surprise me if at some point in the near future they discontinue her landline service.
My guess would be AT&T is diverting more resources to their growing number of cell phone customers and less to their shrinking number of land line users. So it would not surprise me if at some point in the near future they discontinue her landline service.
You still have a land line? Remember when they charged you an arm and a leg to call your Grandmother that lived an hour away. They have been making $ for a long time and are smart enough to drop the gasping land line service. All true unless you live in that little white zone on the cell carries coverage map!
Verizon is no better. Service is lacking and it ain't cheap. I want the landline gone, Mrs. QD67 differs. We both agree that the internet service is awful.
We are going to switch to cable internet, and they offer a landline service. So we'll comprise.
You may want to look to see if that is an option.
We are going to switch to cable internet, and they offer a landline service. So we'll comprise.
You may want to look to see if that is an option.
AT&T has serious financial woes. They bought a stake in Direct TV in 2015 for $49 Billion and sold it about a month ago for $16 Billion. That's quite a haircut. I expect that they are going to increase prices and trim service to make up for that.
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JcMack
Member
I've got ATT and I hate it. But I'm gonna keep it for now. Gotta be 6-8 years ago they cut off land line. So I hooked up, and still have VOIP using ATT and little aftermarket Gadjet for $16 a month.
Bozz10mm
US Veteran
I don't know, that sounds like a pretty good profit to me.
Rob613
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AT&T dropping my landline service.
For a 6 year investment...seems like a pretty good deal to me.
For a 6 year investment...seems like a pretty good deal to me.
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That was 49 BILLION they paid for DirecTV.
They sold it at a fire sale to get rid of it.
Wrangler Rich
US Veteran
I retired from Verizon. I started with Continental Telephone Company which became Contel. We were acquired ( they said we merged ) by GTE, then we became Verizon, later to be sold to Frontier. When Cell phones came out, I saw the writing on the wall, and told my co-workers, "Boys, we are riding a dinosaur."
Land lines are not profitable to maintain, and there are not many users anymore.
WR
Land lines are not profitable to maintain, and there are not many users anymore.
WR
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When you say "land line" can I assume you are talking about Copper Wire connections? Any Company offering Internet service should provide "land line" service via the internet - voice over internet. I know it's not true land line service but it seems to work well enough.
I will probably be the last person still having a land line, together with dial telephones. When I have numerous dropouts during phone calls while driving through remote parts of PA, I have a hard time contemplating giving up on the premise of a signal coming through a wire.
About 7 years ago, after having the same telephone# for over 30 years, AT&Ts prices keep going up & quality down so I converted to a VO-IP (voice over IP/Internet) service.
You can keep (& port) your existing tele# or get a new one.
It was obvious then they weren't serious about keeping landline customers.
A lot cheaper & pretty good quality. You can register the tele# to a physical address for 911 purposes.
You can reuse your in-house landland wiring so any room that already has a traditional phone will still have one with the VOIP service.
I have a cell phone as my main device but the VOIP phone is cheap & worth having for a back-up communications device.
That's they way I'd go if you already have a decent internet service.
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You can keep (& port) your existing tele# or get a new one.
It was obvious then they weren't serious about keeping landline customers.
A lot cheaper & pretty good quality. You can register the tele# to a physical address for 911 purposes.
You can reuse your in-house landland wiring so any room that already has a traditional phone will still have one with the VOIP service.
I have a cell phone as my main device but the VOIP phone is cheap & worth having for a back-up communications device.
That's they way I'd go if you already have a decent internet service.
.
Only if I die first. I don't think I'm important enough or know anybody important enough too have instant communication. I carry money, keys, knife and pistol so I don't have an extra pocket for a phone. Larry
LennyLames
Member
I still have the same phone number that started out as a landline (twisted pair wires with RJ-11 plug).
Many years ago, I got rid of the landline and tansferred the phone number to Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) as they call it. Basically, VOIP uses internet service to send/receive phone calls. I was already paying for internet service at home, so I just got a separate VOIP service. I think it was Vonage at that time, but there are several others. Some of the internet service providers provide their own VOIP service. My phone service cost actually went down and domestic long distance calls didn't cost extra.
When I moved to a new house, phone number went with me. Just got a new internet service and kept the same VOIP service.
Eventually, cell phone service at my location improved, so I moved my phone number from VOIP to a cell phone, which I can take anywhere, even foreign counties when I want to. Far more versatile. For those of you that want the comfort of wired network, cell phones are capable of Wi-Fi calling and the calls are transmitted through your internet service. Conversely, when the internet service is down I can still use the cellular network for calls, and also use the phone to provide internet service (mobile hotspot) for my computer.
I just switched to another cell provider. My phone service monthly cost is lower than what I used to pay for VOIP or landline. Actual costs are dependent on the cell providers that cover your location. If you use your cell phone for more than landline-type voice/talk, i.e., data, costs will increase. When taking your phone to foreign countries (Try doing that with your landline), usage can get expensive but there are ways to minimize.
When choosing cell service, don't just look at the majors, i.e., Verizon, TMobile, AT&T. You can get much lower cost from lesser known companies which use the same networks as the majors. If living and commuting in a fringe area as shown in a coverage map, test the actual coverage with a trial/loaner before deciding.
Those cell phone units can be very expensive. Over $1000 for some units. Not just any old flip phone will do, since companies have been upgrading their networks and getting rid of the older 2G and 3G technologies. You can get a modern cell phone for less than $100. At no extra cost, maps & driving directions, voicemail (get rid of that old answering machine), banking functions (apps), airline apps, brokerage apps, etc.
The main advantage of a landline is that the power supply is independent. Your area can have a power outage and your landline might still work. Landlines also provide location information for your home in case of emergency but cell phones nowadays provide very accurate location services and can be registered to provide 911 emergency address.
Landlines are going the way of the pager and the pay phone.
Many years ago, I got rid of the landline and tansferred the phone number to Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) as they call it. Basically, VOIP uses internet service to send/receive phone calls. I was already paying for internet service at home, so I just got a separate VOIP service. I think it was Vonage at that time, but there are several others. Some of the internet service providers provide their own VOIP service. My phone service cost actually went down and domestic long distance calls didn't cost extra.
When I moved to a new house, phone number went with me. Just got a new internet service and kept the same VOIP service.
Eventually, cell phone service at my location improved, so I moved my phone number from VOIP to a cell phone, which I can take anywhere, even foreign counties when I want to. Far more versatile. For those of you that want the comfort of wired network, cell phones are capable of Wi-Fi calling and the calls are transmitted through your internet service. Conversely, when the internet service is down I can still use the cellular network for calls, and also use the phone to provide internet service (mobile hotspot) for my computer.
I just switched to another cell provider. My phone service monthly cost is lower than what I used to pay for VOIP or landline. Actual costs are dependent on the cell providers that cover your location. If you use your cell phone for more than landline-type voice/talk, i.e., data, costs will increase. When taking your phone to foreign countries (Try doing that with your landline), usage can get expensive but there are ways to minimize.
When choosing cell service, don't just look at the majors, i.e., Verizon, TMobile, AT&T. You can get much lower cost from lesser known companies which use the same networks as the majors. If living and commuting in a fringe area as shown in a coverage map, test the actual coverage with a trial/loaner before deciding.
Those cell phone units can be very expensive. Over $1000 for some units. Not just any old flip phone will do, since companies have been upgrading their networks and getting rid of the older 2G and 3G technologies. You can get a modern cell phone for less than $100. At no extra cost, maps & driving directions, voicemail (get rid of that old answering machine), banking functions (apps), airline apps, brokerage apps, etc.
The main advantage of a landline is that the power supply is independent. Your area can have a power outage and your landline might still work. Landlines also provide location information for your home in case of emergency but cell phones nowadays provide very accurate location services and can be registered to provide 911 emergency address.
Landlines are going the way of the pager and the pay phone.
Phone your State agency that regulates utilities. My previous land line carrier was discontinuing service in Michigan early last year. The only other carrier who offered it was AT&T, but they told me land lines weren’t available in my area.
I wanted to keep my land line, because it’s compatible with my alarm system, works during a power outage and doesn’t rely on cell towers.
I contacted the Michigan Public Service commission and filed a complaint. Michigan has a law that says a utility can’t discontinue service without cause, if no other service provider is available. Other States may have similar laws.
A few days later, I received a call from an AT&T customer service VP. Long story short, they bowed to the pressure and agreed to provide a land line for me. They had it up and running within a few days.
We have underground wiring and I did have some static issues after it rained. Some of the circuits have deteriorated with age, but there are plenty of open circuits available. There aren’t many land lines in my neighborhood, but the infrastructure is still there. It took several service calls (free), but they were finally able to find a good hook-up and eliminate the background noise.
I wanted to keep my land line, because it’s compatible with my alarm system, works during a power outage and doesn’t rely on cell towers.
I contacted the Michigan Public Service commission and filed a complaint. Michigan has a law that says a utility can’t discontinue service without cause, if no other service provider is available. Other States may have similar laws.
A few days later, I received a call from an AT&T customer service VP. Long story short, they bowed to the pressure and agreed to provide a land line for me. They had it up and running within a few days.
We have underground wiring and I did have some static issues after it rained. Some of the circuits have deteriorated with age, but there are plenty of open circuits available. There aren’t many land lines in my neighborhood, but the infrastructure is still there. It took several service calls (free), but they were finally able to find a good hook-up and eliminate the background noise.
I love it when David (or in our case Dave) slays Goliath, and our Dave did not even need five smooth stones!
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But you gotta admit that it's hard to drag that wire around with you . . .
