Landline or POTS (plain old telephone service) is soon to become a thing of the past. There is a lot of buzz surrounding this topic right now, and really no need for me to rehash what’s already been said, and being discussed elsewhere. You can find the latest developments here. What I’d like to talk about here are some alternatives to landline phone service you can start using today.
Digital phone service is very similar to landline in the way one makes and receives phone calls, and also the calling features which work nearly the same way. Most users feel very at home, and comfortable using a digital phone service because of these similarities. There are three major providers of digital phone service. Cable companies, VoIP companies (like Vonage), and yes, your local landline provider.
All three provider types may offer digital phone service, but their terminology is a little different. Regardless of if they call it digital voice, digital phone, or broadband phone, it is all VoIP, but it’s VoIP used with a home telephone, either connected to a VoIP router, or a broadband ready telephone, and it is not computer software like Skype.
If you subscribe to digital voice through your landline provider, or digital phone through a cable provider, you’ll likely be able to have a phone wherever you have a traditional wall jack throughout your home. When subscribing to a stand alone VoIP provider, you’ll need to keep in mind the router you receive works with only one phone. If you need more than one handset, make sure the VoIP provider offers an expandable base VoIP phone system.
The big advantage to a digital phone system is cost. It’s much cheaper than any other true phone service for both local and long distance calls, and typically more calling features are included. By far the biggest disadvantage is 911 service. You can find out more about the voip 911 issues by visiting the FCC website here. Another disadvantage is if your power goes out, so does your phone.
Many people are already dropping their landlines for wireless, and have been for some time. As with digital phone service, there are some issues surrounding wireless and 911, which you can also learn more about from the FCC website here. Unless your wireless phone isn’t charged, you shouldn’t have an issue with your phone going out if the power in your home goes out, but if there is a blackout, you could lose your wireless phone service until power is restored.
I know someone out there is going to ask why I didn’t mention VoIP computer software like Skype, so I’m going to just say this article is talking about alternatives to a landline. People want to pick up a phone and dial, or pick up a phone to answer. If you like computer software for making calls, more power to you, but in my opinion it’s just not a suitable alternative to landline telephone service.
Please feel free to republish this article on your own website, but not in print. Just make sure to link back to this article if you choose to use it.
Here are a few resources to help you find an alternative phone service provider today.
