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Home Phone Service: Cancel or Keep It?

Who needs a landline in the age of smartphones?

By Adam Fendelman Adam Fendelman Writer University of Missouri-Columbia Adam Fendelman is a syndicated technology writer and senior web designer whose focus was on web analytics and web design among other things. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on September 1, 2021 Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email

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Expand Jump to a Section Signal Strength Price Landlines as Backup Copper Phone Service vs VoIP Deactivating your home phone service and using a cellphone exclusively is an increasingly popular option. Consolidating your two phone bills into one is not only an attractive financial decision but also a way to simplify things. Here are a few factors to consider.

Signal Strength

When you're at home, you're not mobile. This means you'll likely always have similar signal reception unless you change your cellphone carrier or they significantly enhance their network to improve a dead zone. If your cellphone signal is weak at home either because your carrier provides inadequate service or because the architectural structure of your home weakens your cellphone's signal, deactivating your landline might seem like a poor decision. The alternative is huddling up in a particular corner of your home that likes your cellphone and sitting still to avert having a dropped call. Still, this is not ideal. While signal reception has improved greatly, it's not as reliable as a traditional, copper-based telephone line.

Price

When you analyze how much you spend on your cellphone bill as compared to your landline bill, does it make financial sense for you to cut your landline and rely only on your cellphone? Due to the trend of people dropping their landlines in favor of cellphones, companies that offer landline services have seen their revenues erode. As such, they've modified their pricing plans to remain competitive. If the call quality with your cellphone at home works for you, make sure the money factor ends up saving you money instead of losing it.

Landlines as Backup

If your cellphone stops working at home because you've run the battery dry, a landline can serve as a useful backup option, especially in the case of an emergency. Even if your cellphone battery loses power, you can begin the recharging process and immediately place a call. If your cellphone breaks or has a hardware malfunction and stops working, relying it on exclusively will leave you without a phone. Having a landline may serve as an important backup and also offer some peace of mind.

Copper Phone Service vs VoIP

These days, the big question about home phone service is whether to use traditional copper-based technology or switch to VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol). VoIP service runs over the internet rather than a traditional, copper-based phone line. The service often ends up costing less and comes with unlimited minutes. Companies like Vonage have made VoIP popular. Still, why should you pay for VoIP at home and not rely exclusively on your cellphone? If you find it cheaper and easier to have one phone bill, those reasons may be enough to cut the phone cord at home. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire How to Block Political Robocalls The 5 Best Phone Adapters (ATAs) of 2022 Can You Use Skype as Your Home Phone? How to Connect a Landline Phone to a Modem Connect All Your Home Phones to Your VoIP Service Can I Keep My Existing Phone Number While Using VoIP? How to Hide Your Number With *67 How to Call Back a Private Number How to Get Started With VoIP How to Stop Unwanted & Spam Calls on Your Cellphone or Landline Can I Call Alexa From My Phone? The 5 Best Wireless IP Phones of 2022 Circuit Switching vs. Packet Switching Skype vs. Viber 7 Ways to Tell If Your Phone Is Being Tapped How to Park Your Cellphone Number Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies