Is a landline still necessary?

Author
Discussion

A900ss

Original Poster:

3,259 posts

158 months

Friday 6th January 2023
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My broadband is up for renewal. I currently have broadband with an included phone line rental. We never use the landline.

It used to be that a landline helped your credit score.

I have an excellent credit rating, don’t use the landline and it’s 2023, is it still better to pay extra for something I’ll never use Or have those days now gone and it’s fine to not have a landline?

Thanks.

durbster

10,638 posts

228 months

Friday 6th January 2023
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I haven't had a landline installed for well over five years and probably hadn't used the one we did have for another five years before that.

Surely the banks will have recognised it's no longer expected by now?

bad company

19,378 posts

272 months

Friday 6th January 2023
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We just moved and no longer bother with a landline. Kept one previously due to poor signal at the property.


HiAsAKite

2,407 posts

253 months

Friday 6th January 2023
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Haven't had one since 2010...

Red9zero

7,657 posts

63 months

Friday 6th January 2023
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We only keep ours as my mother refuses to call our mobiles. The BT engineer we had round recently said he hears the same at a lot of houses.

QJumper

2,709 posts

32 months

Friday 6th January 2023
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I have a landline, but only because it comes with the cable package, and ditching it doesn't seem to reduce the piece. However, given that a phone hasn't been plugged into it since around 1995, without any ill effects, I don't think one's necessary.

Muppet007

436 posts

51 months

Friday 6th January 2023
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Not had one for 4 years. Now live in a place with zero mobile phone signal so use WIFI calling. Not had an issue and I WFH 100%


Carguy44

581 posts

24 months

Friday 6th January 2023
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Red9zero said:
We only keep ours as my mother refuses to call our mobiles. The BT engineer we had round recently said he hears the same at a lot of houses.
Seems strange that she will phone one number but not another! If I were you I would get rid of the land line if you don't want it, she would then have to phone your mobile. Job done.

Bluemondy

388 posts

87 months

Friday 6th January 2023
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Not had one since at least 2012. Completely redundant. Even my elderly mum uses WhatsApp!

ridds

8,279 posts

250 months

Friday 6th January 2023
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Haven't bothered since 2009.

If I didn't game online and had stronger mobile signal at home, I'd have binned the Broadband before now as well.

Red9zero

7,657 posts

63 months

Friday 6th January 2023
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Carguy44 said:
Red9zero said:
We only keep ours as my mother refuses to call our mobiles. The BT engineer we had round recently said he hears the same at a lot of houses.
Seems strange that she will phone one number but not another! If I were you I would get rid of the land line if you don't want it, she would then have to phone your mobile. Job done.
She still thinks it costs a vast amount of money to call a mobile. She won't call my sister as she doesn't have a landline. That and her anxiety make it easier to just keep the landline.

TC7

142 posts

92 months

Friday 6th January 2023
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We have just done away with our landline completely as we have switched to fibre broadband so phone line is no longer required.

My parents are still pretty dependant on their landline as they live in a village with no signal but even they are only really keeping it as my grandparents still believe turning a mobile phone on costs money, let think about alone calling one and refuse to accept the modern ways of using whatsapp or any other easier cheaper ways of contact, so unless your tied in by that you won't miss it.

Just for comparison my wife's grandparents who are 97 and 96 love modern tech, have WhatsApp, Message and smart home, full ring cameras set up the lot, they did get rid of facebook however as they said most of their friends weren't alive to add anymore so found it a tad depressing

Carguy44

581 posts

24 months

Friday 6th January 2023
quotequote all
Red9zero said:
Carguy44 said:
Red9zero said:
We only keep ours as my mother refuses to call our mobiles. The BT engineer we had round recently said he hears the same at a lot of houses.
Seems strange that she will phone one number but not another! If I were you I would get rid of the land line if you don't want it, she would then have to phone your mobile. Job done.
She still thinks it costs a vast amount of money to call a mobile. She won't call my sister as she doesn't have a landline. That and her anxiety make it easier to just keep the landline.
Ah fair enough. Some older folk really do get stuck in their ways though.

ChocolateFrog

27,747 posts

179 months

Friday 6th January 2023
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We've not had one for a few years.

Not once have we needed it.

stevemcs

8,938 posts

99 months

Friday 6th January 2023
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No, but the wife won't believe me.

Road2Ruin

5,414 posts

222 months

Friday 6th January 2023
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I thought, unless you are on fibre, you had no choice but to have a landline? Whether you plug a phone in or not though is up to you.

and31

3,453 posts

133 months

Friday 6th January 2023
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I choose not to plug a phone into the land line and haven’t for at least five years-only ever someone trying to flog something, or a hopeful debt recovery merchant trying to get hold of my feckless stepson that hasn’t lived here for at least 15 years.

anonymous-user

60 months

Friday 6th January 2023
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We haven’t had a landline phone for probably 12 or 13 years now, and I cannot remember these last time I called the landline number for a friend or relative. Must be over 10 years ago.

So in answer to the question, no, I don’t believe a domestic landline is required anymore.

Chris Type R

8,128 posts

255 months

Friday 6th January 2023
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We have two, pretty much as they're part of the respective packages.

Mr E

22,047 posts

265 months

Friday 6th January 2023
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Not had one since 2001. Few cared then. No one cares now