Are You Ready to Cut the Cord?
When I was growing up, my mom worked for the phone company as did my aunt. They both had worked there when they were younger and were able to start with some seniority when they decided to rejoin the workforce after taking time off to raise kids. I don’t remember a whole lot about it; I do remember that the government stepped in and made the company split. When the company divided, my mom went with one division while my aunt went with the other. It was interesting to see how something as simple as phone service could change… and could so dramatically change lives.
A few weeks ago, the latest edition of one of the local phone books was left on our porch. I was reminded how different things are now from then. As a teenager, my folks needed to invest in additional phone lines. At one point we had a family line plus another to accommodate my father’s construction business, which he ran from our home. Eventually he expanded to a traditional office. That’s about the time they realized teenagers can hog the phone. Especially when there aren’t things like internet, texting, cell phones or anything on the three TV channels available.
Talking on the phone was a way of staying connected with family and friends and a form of entertainment back then as much as texting, surfing and social media are today. The difference is that there isn’t a need for a “teen line” or a “business line” because so many people, including kids, have cell phones. At the same time, phone books are becoming obsolete because more and more families are cutting the cord all together in favor of mobile devices. People are also dropping other services such as cable and satellite, too. With alternatives like Netflix, people can enjoy their favorite shows and movies by streaming to their TVs, smartphone or tablet. You know we’re #StreamTeam members so we obviously share a love of that service.
As technology continues to improve and advance, there are so many opportunities arising to simplify and enhance our lives. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus just released and people were literally lined up around the block to upgrade their phones! Great technology paired with U.S. Cellular’s reliable 4G LTE network give people the confidence to cut the cord but still be connected.
Whether you want to stream a lot or a little, drop your cable or satellite, the options are great. Google Play, Hulu Plus, iTunes and Netflix used on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire or your various smart phones and tablets. One thing is certain though; if you plan to drop your landline, make sure you have a reliable phone service.
I completely agree that landlines are just not needed in most cases. We actually tried not having a landline but it didn’t work. When we were in a condo we had to have the landline if wanted guests to be able to buzz our unit and now in a house, we need a land line if we want an alarm for the home.
it is stunning, isn’t it, how much technology has advanced – I certainly remember the ‘old’ days, when a phone attached to the wall was pretty much all there was!
cheers,
Gordon
If cutting the cord is ones goal, then the landline should not hold them back. There are plenty solutions that will let you use a phone over the internet. A Net-talk device is about $70, and a subscription costs $30 a year. You will make that back in 5-6 months of dropping your phone. There are also devices like “Oooma” that don’t force a subscription. The device is about $199 though. But after that it’s free calling the in the US for life.
My grandmother worked for the phone company when I was growing up. Our phone book was delivered the other day and I was amazed at how “thin” it was. That can be attributed to so many ppl using their cell phones as their home phone too. Who woulda thunk it?
I don’t think we’ve had a land line since we moved into this house, and probably since a year or two before that even – so 12 or 13 years now.
We already cut off the landline way back, it just wasn’t indispensable anymore!
Wow! That was a blast from the past! We keep a landline because sometimes cell phones get lost or left somewhere and what if there was an emergency? I wanted a line that can be relied on at home even though we have cell phones. I’m wondering now if that’s outdated thinking? LOL I think it’s the mom in me!
There really are some fantastic options out there right now. My Dad worked for the phone company when I was little!
We have our landline. I know we’re bordering on dinosaur with that one. We also only have Trac Phones (by choice), and that’s downright pre-historic. 😉
Noooo… I am Not ready but they grow up and we sorta have to… 🙁
I admit, we still have a land line, though it doesn’t get used very often. I only use it to talk to my mom, so it does seem kind of pointless to keep paying for it when it hardly gets used.
You know.. I’m not sure if I’m totally ready to cut the cord Just yet… Let me hold on to the good ol’ days JUST a little longer, so far everything from the past is gone, I think that little thing is mine as long as I can; I do love the new technology and we are streaming a lot of movies through Netflix and Amazon, too… But I don’t trust the cell phones just yet for everything 🙂 great post Scott
Man the only reason I still have land line in San Francisco is that I need it to buzz people in the door. Also I’m not sure they offer the other services without it. Definitely not something I use a lot anymore. I have both services through the cable company at both homes. It’s only unhelpful if there is a power or internet outage, in which case there is no phone.
We live in the sticks and get horrible reception! It’s a guarantee that we will not be cutting the cord for a long time if ever.
We haven’t had any land line phone for more than a year now. About 3 years before that we had a phone that we don’t even use we just have it because of the internet we have pre-packaged with it. We wont be having any more corded ones in the future.
I would love to cut our landline but we live in a very rural area in a small valeey and don’t have cell service at home. I love all the options that are available now.
We cut our landline many years ago and have never regretted that decision. THinking of cutting back on my cell service as well.
Great share 🙂 I no longer have a landline just use my cell…………Thanks for the review:)
We haven’t quite cut the landline cord yet although we get phone service over the Internet, through our landline. Maybe it is too much of a habit. Maybe one day….
I actually got rid of my landline many years ago, as I saw the potential for cell phones getting bigger, I saw no purpose for a home phone, as I am hardly ever there.