Authored by Josh Enojo in Communications
Published on 07-04-2009

Having a landline phone used to be the norm. With the recent trends of having cellphones and internet phones such as Skype, Yahoo or Magic jack, more people are cutting the cord and are choosing these advanced technologies over the traditional phone. For those who are considering ditching their phones, as usual there are pros and cons to this.

The pros of having a landline phone are the following:

• Landline phones are dependable. It works anywhere in the house, and no need to worry about coverage or losing signal. When in some areas, cellphone coverage is sometimes not good inside the house. There’s also no need to charge the phone every once in a while, as compared to cellphones which need constant battery charging for the phone to work. For internet phones, one needs to be connected to the internet for it to work. The computer always has to be on to receive and make calls. Landline phones can be also used with rare cases of power outages unlike both cellphones (dead battery) and internet phones.
• Emergency (911) call tracing. With landline phones, the operator can track the location where the 911 call was placed and if there’s no time to tell the operator the exact address, help can still be sent immediately. Call centers can automatically get the caller’s address. With the alternative choices such as cellphones or internet phones, they’re not as accurate. There’s also the danger of losing connection while trying to place the call. This is a significant pro to consider in having a landline phone.
• Extensions or receivers can be put-up anywhere in the house. In a big house or in a family, one receiver may not be enough. Usually, you’ll need one in the kitchen, another in the living room or in the different bedrooms. This makes the landline very convenient. Cell phones only have one receiver.
• For those who are making lots of calls at home, like if one has a business set-up at home, a landline phone could actually be cheaper. If a household makes lots of call, the practical choice is a landline phone. A cellphone is cheaper if your calls are provided in the allotted minutes but once this allocation is exceeded, you’ll have to pay more. This also applies to having chatty teenagers at home when they use your phone. They could eat up minutes in your mobile plan.

However, there are also cons to having a landline phone which are the following:

• Landline service can be expensive. Considering what was mentioned above, if you can find a mobile plan that suits your needs and you won’t have to go over their allotted minutes, then ditching your landline for a cellphone may be more practical in this case. With the economic crisis, it’s always a good choice to be able to save money paid for your bills.
• Landlines are telemarketer’s dream phones. Being bothered by telemarketers is one of the frustrating cons of having a landline. Cellphones receive considerably less calls from these telemarketers which can be really pesky when you have a landline. Having them call your home often is a pain.
• Landline phones cannot be carried outside of the house. So, if you’re not at home and you don’t have a mobile phone, you can miss important calls. That’s why more people are ditching the landline phones. They can carry their cellphone anywhere they go. For those who live a very active lifestyle, a mobile phone is the way to go.

Having or ditching your landline phone depends on what your needs are. So, whatever is your choice, the pros and cons should figure into your decision.