The Capitol Fax Blog » Question of the day

Thursday, Mar 12, 2009

* The setup…

Federal estimates released Wednesday show that 16.5 percent of Illinois households have dropped landlines to go wireless.

Oklahoma and Utah lead the way in cell phone-only households, with at least 26 percent, according to data released Wednesday by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The rate was at least 20 percent in nine other states, including two that border Illinois. The CDC said 22.2 percent of households in Iowa and 21.4 percent in Kentucky are landline free.

But Illinois came out ahead of other Midwest states, including Wisconsin (15.2 percent), Indiana (13.8 percent) and Missouri (9.9 percent).

* The question: Do you have a landline phone at home? If no, why not? If yes, do you think you’ll keep it? Explain.

- posted by Rich Miller

73 Comments

- steve schnorf - Thursday, Mar 12, 09 @ 10:29 am:
Yes. Since my DSL is thru my phone company, its a requirement by them. I also use it for faxing.

- He Makes Ryan Look Like a Saint - Thursday, Mar 12, 09 @ 10:30 am:
No I got rid of mine 6 years ago. I got tired of paying $50 before I get one phone call. Plus everyone calls me on my cell anyway. My wife even uses hers for her business phone.

- Muskrat - Thursday, Mar 12, 09 @ 10:31 am:
I have a landline phone for two reasons: the entry system in my building, which allows me to admit pizza delivery people, will not work with a cellular phone. Also, the sound quality and iffy reception of cell phones makes them grossly inferior to the crystal-clear always-reliable connection of my landline phone.

I’m not sure which of the two reasons is more important.

- oneman - Thursday, Mar 12, 09 @ 10:31 am:
Yes have a landline for work for myself and my wife

- Pot calling kettle - Thursday, Mar 12, 09 @ 10:33 am:
No landline. I live in the country and the phone line was very bad. A local entrepreneur set up a wireless highspeed internet connection using the local watertower. My wife and I each already had cell phones. No need for a landline, so we dropped it. We’ll probably never have a landline again.

- HoBoSkillet - Thursday, Mar 12, 09 @ 10:37 am:
No - I discontinued my landline service about 8 years ago. Simply, I could not justify paying two phone bills.

- Amy - Thursday, Mar 12, 09 @ 10:38 am:
landline and keeping it with a cord phone. when the power goes down, and the cell phone needs charging, most convenient in an emergency if you have to make contact. yes, you can charge a phone from a car, but i’m covering all bases in case the car is away.

- Retired Non-Union Guy - Thursday, Mar 12, 09 @ 10:38 am:
Yws, land line because my wife can’t hear clearly on a cell phone with her hearing aids (even though we have one of the better sounding ones with speaker phone) and uses a speakerphone connected to a land line.

However, my son & wife only have their cell phones at their house.

- Mike Murray - Thursday, Mar 12, 09 @ 10:38 am:
Practically no one under 25 has a land line. Why pay for it… Its all about cell phones baby…but we will probably all get brain tumors…

- Phineas J. Whoopee - Thursday, Mar 12, 09 @ 10:39 am:
No landline, my cell is with me 24 hrs a day-Can’t see why I need any more than that.

- Concerned Observer - Thursday, Mar 12, 09 @ 10:39 am:
No. We had one at the old place, when we were Comcast customers — the landline/TV/Internet package was fine.

But when we moved, we wanted satellite TV. So we have that (but no landline hooked up…cheaper to pay $5 a month than to put in a landline) and DSL through AT&T, which I guess means we have a “line” but you can’t dial it.

Just don’t need a landline these days. Hell, I never bothered to change my cell number from 618 when I moved back to the suburbs. More hassle than it’s worth to ask my friends to change the numbers they have stored.

- VanillaMan - Thursday, Mar 12, 09 @ 10:39 am:
We stripped ours down to the minimal, so that it can be used in emergencies, and to hand out when asked for a phone number. 95% of our phone calls are cellular.

- Blogger2 - Thursday, Mar 12, 09 @ 10:39 am:
We live in the country and must have a landline phone since the cell tower signals go over the house. To use a cell phone we either have to stand on a bed on the second floor of the house or go to the end of the driveway at the top of the hill. Those alternatives are not conducive to late night calls or in the dead of winter.

- How Ironic - Thursday, Mar 12, 09 @ 10:40 am:
I do, but it is getting harder and harder to justify.

I dropped all long distance from my landline plan. I’m also seriously considering going to the $16 “basic” plan. No caller id, but I need a landline for my alarm system.

It is gettting hard to justify the cost.

- Six Degrees of Separation - Thursday, Mar 12, 09 @ 10:40 am:
Yes, because I get a lot of business calls at my home/office, and the number has some intrinsic value. Other than that, we could probably go completely wireless.

- 47th Ward - Thursday, Mar 12, 09 @ 10:41 am:
Yes, for DSL and DirecTV. Hardly used for anything else except to receive robo calls and annoying telemarketers.

- wordslinger - Thursday, Mar 12, 09 @ 10:42 am:
No, got rid of it two years ago. Haven’t missed it.

We’re all hooked up on some Verizon family plan for cells. No one used the landline to make calls, it cost a bundle and the only calls we got on it after awhile were telemarketers.

- SafeAggie - Thursday, Mar 12, 09 @ 10:42 am:
Have a landline. Need it with DSL, and I appreciate the piece of mind of enhanced 9-1-1 service that allows the dispatcher to know my exact address. Also, we still keep a phone line-powered phone for use during emergencies, but the cellular system has always remained running during the power failures in which I recollect needing to use phone.

- wordslinger - Thursday, Mar 12, 09 @ 10:47 am:
Why the Centers for Disease Control for the survey? Are they investigating the epidemic of diarrhea of the mouth by some of our younger cell phone users?

- Its Just Me - Thursday, Mar 12, 09 @ 10:53 am:
When I got rid of dial up Internet I dropped the land line. I never used it except to accpt calls from my doctor’s office to confirm appointments and the such. I DID NOT tell the Board of Elections about my switch and now I don’t get the uber-annoying robocalls. In a like manner, when ever someone asks me for my phone number I don’t give it to them, and if they insist I give them a made up number. (I feel sorry for whoever actually has my made up number.)

- Amuzing Myself - Thursday, Mar 12, 09 @ 10:53 am:
Still have a landline, but no long-distance anymore, and we only have it for 9-1-1 purposes with small children running around. They know where the real phone is. They don’t always know where our cell phones are. A few relatives still call on the land-line, but we don’t. It’s mostly telemarketers and such anymore.

- Crafty Girl - Thursday, Mar 12, 09 @ 10:54 am:
Yes. Call me old-fashioned, but I like knowing that a 911 operator will know exactly where I’m calling from when I use the landline. Plus, when the power goes out and the cell phone isn’t charged, you can still plug in an old corded phone and make calls.

- Slick Willy - Thursday, Mar 12, 09 @ 10:56 am:
Got rid of my landline two years ago. I have since built a new house in the boonies. While I would not use it anyway, I refuse to go through the hassle of having the phone company string a wire and attempt to retrofit my house with phone jacks.

- Plutocrat03 - Thursday, Mar 12, 09 @ 10:57 am:
Have 2 lines. They are both VOIP and one is used exclusively for faxes.

Time will tell. My cell lines are not used for the most lengthy communications. Land lines perform that function.

- Rebel13 - Thursday, Mar 12, 09 @ 10:58 am:
I have kids so I will always have a landline. Piece of mind.

Also, no cell phones worked if I recall on 9-11 in New York City.

- Princess - Thursday, Mar 12, 09 @ 11:01 am:
Yes, I have a landline, but if it were not for my computer I would have removed it ages ago, can’t remember last time it even rang or I used it. Still living in the darkages of dail-up as I won’t give up my email address I’ve had for like 12 years. My cell and I are together 24/7.

- tanstaafl - Thursday, Mar 12, 09 @ 11:03 am:
Still have a land line. Cell coverage in my area is iffy at best. Also, with frequent extended power outages, the land line is still availble with a corded phone. Also, need a land line connection for my Dish Network receivers.

- Third Generation Chicago Native - Thursday, Mar 12, 09 @ 11:04 am:
I have DSL so I still have a landline. Also I would need to get a cell phone for everyone if I got rid of the landline, so right now it’s cheaper to keep it.

- Pat Collins - Thursday, Mar 12, 09 @ 11:09 am:
You do NOT need a landline if you have DSL. They will charge you more, but the total landline+ dsl is more than DSL only.

I have a landline, but it’s going to be history this year. Can’t see paying for two.

Actually, many calls were made duing the 9/11 attacks from the towers. Most notably by Rick Rescorla

- Anon in BB - Thursday, Mar 12, 09 @ 11:09 am:
Have a landline through Vonage. I would get rid of it, but my cellphone has crud reception in my home.

- JLP - Thursday, Mar 12, 09 @ 11:10 am:
Yes I keep the landline because of DSL, DirecTV, and poor cellular coverage here. It’s about $37/month, but I’ve got few options.

- zatoichi - Thursday, Mar 12, 09 @ 11:14 am:
Got a land line which my wife uses for faxes for her job. Occassional calls on it. Used Skype for some over seas and regularly play online games with mic/headphones with people from around the country. Use cells for almost everything. Life span of that land line is not long.

- What planet is he from again? - Thursday, Mar 12, 09 @ 11:20 am:
Yes for reasons stated by Crafty Girl and tanstaafl. But also so that there’s a single point of contact for anyone in the family. If there’s a call and you don’t need to speak specifically to one of us (like a delivery or service call or something,) call home, either someone will answer, or the answering machine will grab it. Also, I don’t always have my phone with me.

- This Guy - Thursday, Mar 12, 09 @ 11:21 am:
Still have a land-line. Hardly use it (grups and kids have cells).

Primarily keeping so I’m DSL-ready when I finally tell Comcast what they can do with their obscene rates and crummy service.

- Lefty Lefty - Thursday, Mar 12, 09 @ 11:28 am:
I have a landline with no long distance service. Cell coverage is a joke until the whole system is standardized nationwide (ie, when I’m long gone from this world).

I also have a landline for my home business. I just got a call from one of my employees (who also works at home) saying her Comcast cable/internet/VOIP phone is down until further notice. Can’t have that!

- Ahem - Thursday, Mar 12, 09 @ 11:38 am:
I have landline for the dsl. I hate my landline. I got bill collectors for one person with the first number, changed the number, now I get bill collectors for another person. Doesn’t anyone pay their bills any more?

- Sacks Romana - Thursday, Mar 12, 09 @ 11:41 am:
Yes, but only because DSL is much cheaper in Chicago than cable modem. Internet charges aside, the phone service costs $5/month, and has no local or long distance calling plan. We can only call out to numbers in the 773 and 312 area codes, and the only calls we receive are solicitors. My wife and I both use cell phones as our actual phones.

- lincolnlover - Thursday, Mar 12, 09 @ 11:45 am:
I got rid of my landline about 4 years ago. DOn’t miss it at all! By the way, Mike Murray - I am 56 so it isn’t just the younguns that have cells.

- Commander - Thursday, Mar 12, 09 @ 11:49 am:
Only reason I kept a landline was for the fax machine.

- Cookie Monster - Thursday, Mar 12, 09 @ 11:57 am:
Yes, For most of the same reasons. DSL as well as Direct TV

- Pat Collins - Thursday, Mar 12, 09 @ 12:00 pm:
was for the fax machine.

People still fax? We scan and email :)

- Cut the cord years ago - Thursday, Mar 12, 09 @ 12:02 pm:
I’ve been wireless-only for years. I’ve moved so many times, and my cell number has stayed the same.

Also, Crafty Girl and others - most cell phones allow you to enable GPS only for emergency calls, so a 911 operator would still be able to locate you now.

- KeptLandLine - Thursday, Mar 12, 09 @ 12:04 pm:
I kept the land line emergency use. When my folks or my wife’s folks visit I want them to be able to call 911 without the uncertainty of a cell phone (find the cell phone, is it charged, how to make a call, is cell 911 as good as landline 991 yet, etc). I did strip it down so that it only costs about $15.69/month. (No long distance at all and pay per use on local calls.)

- Auntie Geo - Thursday, Mar 12, 09 @ 12:17 pm:
Like so many others, why pay AT LEAST $50 for a land line and then another $50 for a cell line. I got rid of my land line 5 years ago. As I get ready to retire it really makes better sense.

- Anonish - Thursday, Mar 12, 09 @ 12:17 pm:
I have a landline and intend to keep it.

Not only is it better for entry to my building but I like having a number that isn’t my cell that I can give out on paperwork.

- jimbo - Thursday, Mar 12, 09 @ 12:18 pm:
Got rid of ours more than 2 years ago. Don’t miss it at all.

- jerry 101 - Thursday, Mar 12, 09 @ 12:19 pm:
just the minimum service plan required for the DSL.

We never answer the phone. I don’t think the answering machine has been checked in years (it’s built into the phone).

- Leroy - Thursday, Mar 12, 09 @ 12:28 pm:
I still have a rotary dial phone hanging on the wall in the basement.

- Ghost - Thursday, Mar 12, 09 @ 12:37 pm:
Yes, the unlimited calling is cheaper then with a cell service for family phones (99 per phone!) and the convience of handest thorughout the house. When unlimited cell calling comes donw I will get the bluetooth dock that lets you use your household handsets and swtich over to all wireless.

- Southern Illinois Voter - Thursday, Mar 12, 09 @ 12:43 pm:
Yes, mainly for DSL & DirecTV…actually rarely use the landline.

- shermans ghost - Thursday, Mar 12, 09 @ 12:49 pm:
Have DSL-only via land line, no voice service.
Cost’s less than $20.00 bucks a month.
Have no reason for anything other than a cell for voice. Can always use Skype if the cell quits.
As someone else said, you don’t need to pay for voice on a DSL-only line. You just have to find a customer service person that realizes they can sell you a DSL only line w/o voice service being added in.

- Little Egypt - Thursday, Mar 12, 09 @ 12:56 pm:
Have both land line and cell phones. Use land line a fair amount. I just like the feel of the land line handset rather than the piddly cell phone. Plus, I don’t want junk calls eating up my cell minutes. We have no other long distance service other than via cell phones so I’m willing to pay the freight of the land line. Plus I’m just too old to embrace all of the new technology. Wow, who would have thought it. You could use your land line hand set for your cell calls. See how far behind I am? But I don’t text. Don’t know how, don’t want to learn. I prefer to use what unabridged English I havae left to prevent from dumbing down any further than I already have.

- Jake from Elwood - Thursday, Mar 12, 09 @ 1:06 pm:
We have both. My cell is a business phone and I don’t want to carry a second phone. My wife’s celly is her business line as well. Plus I don’t want to equip my kids with their own cell phones. . .at least not yet.

- Hair today, gone.... - Thursday, Mar 12, 09 @ 1:28 pm:
I’m all bundled up with phone, computer and Dish. What bugs me the most is how much I pay each month to watch television. Everyone in the house now has a cell but for some reason I still think I need a house phone.

- just ducky - Thursday, Mar 12, 09 @ 1:29 pm:
we have one cell phone per person in our household. we have cable modem for internet and we have a wireless router in the ceiling in the basement. (that’s going to come in handy for the baseball draft!)

my husband was in an accident in the country in 2007 and he didn’t know where he was, so when i called 911 (from my cell phone) they located him with his cell phone number.

we both have our cell phone numbers on the do not call list and we’ve never gotten a telemarketer or a call from anyone we weren’t expecting except for a few wrong numbers here and there.

we’ll never have a land line and i wish i could get rid of the silly phone jacks around our house.

- Chanson - Thursday, Mar 12, 09 @ 1:31 pm:
We have a landline because we lose cable and power from weather way more than the phone service and cell phone reception is always bad at our house. We do use cell phones away from home.

- Mr. Ethics - Thursday, Mar 12, 09 @ 1:38 pm:
AT&T just raised the landline basic monthly fee again. Business sense would be not to keep raising rates in a declining market unless the intent is to get everyoine to eventually cancel.

- Rufus - Thursday, Mar 12, 09 @ 1:52 pm:
My family has three tracfones, we pay $70-90 a year for each of them. My land-line cost me $25 a month. All long distance(except for cell phone calls) is done on a prepaid ATT card I buy at Sams. I also have DSL at $30 a month. As soon as I can go wireless internet with reasonable service and reasonable cost, I am going to drop ATT completely.

- Bosco Mom - Thursday, Mar 12, 09 @ 2:13 pm:
My cell phone doesn’t work in my house. I have tried many companies and they don’t work.

- Tim - Thursday, Mar 12, 09 @ 2:13 pm:
Still have a landline, not likely to get rid of it. I give it out to anyone who asks for a phone number as part of doing business with them. It largely serves the same purpose as having a separate email address for spam. I keep it for emergencies, and it also comes in handy from time to time. This week, my girlfriend lost her cell phone and can’t afford to replace it yet. We work different hours and I take my cell with me, so the landline is how she can make/take calls when she’s home and I’m not.

I have one of the AT&T Consumer’s Choice plans (cheap) and ECG for long distance (pennies a minute, no monthly minimums). Anyone who says a landline costs $50/month isn’t trying hard enough.

BTW, I’m 27 and have had that line (moved a couple times, same town, same number) since I was 20. Can’t name any friends who have landlines.

- Doing one day @ a time - Thursday, Mar 12, 09 @ 2:17 pm:
No frills basic landline w/DSL and 2 cell lines.
Landline basically for DSL, local calls and emegencies.

- doc - Thursday, Mar 12, 09 @ 2:27 pm:
Still have land line - likely to keep it. Neither the wife or I want to give our cell numbers to anyone (except friends and family, and a very few others).

- highwayman - Thursday, Mar 12, 09 @ 2:56 pm:
No. Dropped the landline one year ago. We now use 4 cellphones (1 always at home) and Skype through cable Internet - no regrets so far.

- White Rabbit - Thursday, Mar 12, 09 @ 3:05 pm:
Yes, although it’s harder to justify these days.

- Justice - Thursday, Mar 12, 09 @ 4:07 pm:
No, I haven’t had a land line in about 4 years. It was the cost of the land line. Where I live just the phone line would cost $70-80 dollars a month with no calls on it. So I use a cell for my main phone and satellite for my Internet. It is a steal for here in the sticks!

- stones - Thursday, Mar 12, 09 @ 4:14 pm:
Still have a landline. The cost is minimal since we have a telephone / cable TV / internet package through Comcast.

In the past I have considered eliminating the line except with elderly parents and a daughter in college I like having an open line 24 / 7 in case of emergency.

- Justice - Thursday, Mar 12, 09 @ 4:20 pm:
Still have a land line in the event a cell tower goes down. Have stripped down service though. But then again, I carry a portable CB in my car on road trips so I can get the scoop on traffic backups.

- Downstate Commissioner - Thursday, Mar 12, 09 @ 4:43 pm:
Still have land line-wife was a teacher and I am an elected official-feel that public needs to be able to contact me through listed phone-wife felt same way (although some lazy teachers want to completely leave job at work) Might consider dropping it when/if I retire. At present time, Frontier requires you to have phone line for DSL. I actually prefer to use it-easier to hear on it.

- With Liberty For All....... - Thursday, Mar 12, 09 @ 6:41 pm:
Cell phone only - when I moved to a new address the old phone number could not come with me. So if I have to tell everyone a new number, it might as well be the cell phone and save on one bill. I should have done it earlier. Besides, I don’t miss the lousy customer service.

- Sangamo Girl - Thursday, Mar 12, 09 @ 6:48 pm:
Landline. Despite being less than 20 miles from Spfld, cell coverage stinks here. It can be entertaining to watch tradesmen, contractors, etc. wandering around the property trying to get a signal.

- 2ndA1 - Friday, Mar 13, 09 @ 9:20 am:
Landline, but its the cheapest un-advertised plan that at&t has. No voice mail or any of the other crap they offer.

- enbloc8 - Friday, Mar 13, 09 @ 9:52 am:
OK, so you give up your landline. What happens if
you experience a power failure, and your cell phone
battery dies? Since a landline runs on low voltage,
it’s ALWAYS available. In an emergency, that’s
important

Pingback Ready to cut the cord? | Illinois Technology Partnership - Tuesday, Mar 17, 09 @ 5:32 pm:
[…] Have you cut out your landline at home? You wouldn’t be alone, according to readers who responded an informal Capitol Fax Blog poll here. […]

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