There are many reasons why you might want to get rid of your landline. Maybe, you’ve had one too many irritating calls with your local phone company’s customer service department. Perhaps, you’re finding that only your cell phone is being used these days. Or, you might just want to save a few dollars every month by cutting out this monthly expense and want to find a way to make cheap telephone calls. Whatever the reason, you’ll need to consider the following items before you make the big switch away from a landline phone.

To begin, let’s look at the two key reasons why you may want to consider keeping your landline. Emergency calls using the 911 system can be easily traced from a landline, and it also serves as a good backup when your cell phone isn’t charged.

These two reasons for keeping a landline are still valid, but not as much as they used to be. First, FCC rules now require that mobile phone companies provide all handsets with some way of tracing 911 calls. Some determine a caller’s rough location by triangulating the signal using different radio towers. Others use GPS chips embedded in the phones to locate callers. This method is accurate within 150 to 500 feet.

There is no disputing that a landline is a readily available backup when you forget to charge your mobile phone. However, is this reason enough to justify the money spent each month on landline service? Alternatively, you can use internet to phone technology as your backup. Providers of VoIP service such as MediaRing Talk enable users to make free online calls from their computer. Anyone who has a computer with an internet connection can take advantage of this service.

Besides being a good backup when your mobile phone isn’t working, using an internet phone service also let you make cheap international calls abroad. The difference in long distance per minute rates between VoIP providers and typical local phone companies can be substantial. For example, rates to landlines and mobile phone in most countries using MediaRing Talk are usually under two cents per minute.

Are there any valid reasons anymore to continue to pay for a landline? This depends on your specific situation. If you have spotty coverage where you live, relying on a mobile phone as your primary communications method might not be the best option. Or, if you have children who want to talk on the phone but who are too young for a mobile phone, this might be another good reason to continue to pay monthly to your local phone company. Of course, you might have a bundled plan with your local provider that includes cable, an internet connection, and a phone line. In this case, it might be less expensive to keep the landline.

The bottom line is that there remains pros and cons to doing away with a home landline. Whether or not it’s the right choice depends on your particular situation. Take a close look at your phone usage patterns and communication requirements, and you’ll be able to determine the right solution for you and your family.

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