Over the past decade or so, the proliferation of cell phone networks and cheap, accessible phones and plans has led to a wave of “cord-cutting” behavior, especially among younger adults. This means they decide to forego regular landline phones in favor of using cellular handsets exclusively. While it makes sense at first glance, there are plenty of reasons to reconsider getting rid of your landline phone. Some of them are economical, some are just about lifestyle and convenience, but in the end what it really comes down to is a cost/benefit analysis. If your landline phone is cheap and effective, why part ways with it?
Cost Considerations
One of the main reasons that people state for giving up their landline phones is cost. The idea that one phone line per person is enough and that unlimited minutes on modern cellular plans makes them useful at home and abroad is really appealing. The fact is, though, that telecommunications services are often sold in bundled plans that make it cheaper to keep your old phone than to turn it off.
Call Quality and Comfort
Even if keeping your landline costs a couple of dollars extra, landline handsets on the average have better quality connections than cellular services do. They also never drop calls, which means that they are much more useful for situations where you might be waiting in a queue, such as when calling for customer service. Many cordless landline handsets are also more comfortable to talk on for extended periods because they are designed for this purpose and the designers do not have to worry about how bulky they will be in your pocket.
Technological Innovation
While technology coverage in the media tends to focus on the new frontiers crossed by cellular phones, those same innovations have been incorporated into handsets. New landline phones often have the ability to place calls over your cellular network by using a Bluetooth connection. This allows you to leave your phone charging in one room while still calling on its network around the house. That is not the only innovation, either. Better filtering of environmental noise, higher quality microphones and speakers, and advances in memory that help with the storage and retrieval of caller ID and voicemail information have also led to higher quality landline handsets.
You should also consider the need for backup phone service. Most homes with multiple cell phones bundle them into one plan from one provider. This means that if something brings down that provider’s network for a brief period, all of your cellular lines will be affected at once. Keeping a landline phone is a great way to avoid this problem, and with the other upsides it presents, the benefits far outweigh the costs.
