Is it time to pull the plug on home phone service?
Lots of people have already ditched their landlines, instead relying entirely on cell phones. Is this really a practical solution?
I hate monthly service charges. They're why I don't own a TiVo, why I buy cars instead of leasing them (I drive 'em till they die), and why I'm thinking about ditching my home phone.
Like many people, I'm already paying through the nose for a pair of smartphones. There's not much I can do about those charges (though I did stop paying extra for iPhone text messages), but I can stop paying Vonage $34 per month.
I gave up on traditional landlines and started using VoIP years ago, switching first to SunRocket, then ViaTalk, and finally Vonage. I like the savings these voice-over-IP services provided, but not their unreliable service and mediocre call quality. (For the record, Vonage was the best of the lot, but even now, I get better call quality from my iPhone.)
As you probably know, a growing number of like-minded cheapskates have abandoned landlines and VoIP in favor of their cell phones.
Are you one of them? If so, tell your fellow readers and me how that's working out for you. Are you happy with the outcome? Do you have any issues to report? My chief concern is not having a phone at arm's reach in an emergency, or when we've left the kids with a babysitter.
Consequently, I'm evaluating some flat-rate VoIP alternatives, including MagicJack, netTALK, and Ooma. I'm also thinking about how I might put Google Voice to good use.
In the meantime, I'm still chasing that Holy Grail of one less monthly bill. I'd give anything to ditch Comcast, too, but that's an entirely different discussion. Let me hear your thoughts on this!