Using a cell phone as your home phone comes with a risk

The economic downturn is causing more households to pare down services to save money. You'd think one of those might be service to the family’s cell phones, but according to a new Center for Disease Control (CDC) study, it's often the landline that's getting the ax.

During the last half of 2008, 20 percent of U.S. households used only cell phones, compared with 17 percent of the households with landlines that had no cell phones.

It easy to see why people would prefer the mobility of a cell phone over a stodgy landline, especially since falling rates for unlimited minutes are actually making them the better bargain. And, as the Associated Press reports, cell phones users are less likely to be annoyed by pollsters because federal laws prohibit them from using computers to place calls to wireless phones.

But landline connections do have one important advantage over cells: They're safer. With emergency calls made over a landline, 911 operators know for certain the address and location of call. Not so with cell phones, which use much less-direct—and less-consistent—system for connecting with emergency responders.

Newer fiber phone service uses the same long-proven location system as a landline phone. But cable-phone and other VoIP 911 services depend on the provider supplying local emergency services with your address, a federal requirement. The agency also requires that new VoIP customers be informed that emergency service "may in some way be limited in comparison to traditional 911 service."

Our advice: Supplement your cell and/or VoIP service with basic landline service to use at least for 911 calls. Such service typically costs about $20 a month, including fees and the like.

In another safety-related cell-phone development, a train accident in Boston that occurred while the train operator was texting has renewed questions about the safety of texting while driving.  —Mike Gikas

Comments

[John]

"In another safety-related cell-phone development, a train accident in Boston that occurred while the train operator was texting has renewed questions about the safety of texting while driving."

Questions? I have never had any questions about this, and I'm surprised anyone does. It is 100% unsafe, no question about it.

[Derrick G]

One more thing: there are few if any exchanges out there where the ILEC is the only option for wireline service. Typically the ILEC's local-loop facilities will be used, but still it's unfair to call it a monopoly.

[Derrick G]

Gee, I've never seen so many out-there comments on a CR blog.

Points to know and consider:

-not every jurisdiction requires a metered or measured service now. So in some areas it may well be quite a bit more than $10 unless you qualify for some form of assistance.

-E911 regulations for cell phones were made based on complaints from PSAP operators regarding people in cars who couldn't tell the operator where they were. During this time, little thought was given to people in buildings where wireline service had been dropped. Don't think these systems tell the operator exactly where you are. They don't. FCC regulations require accuracy to within 50-300 meters depending on the technology used. That might not mean much in a subdivision, but might be a few apartments off. Also, in high rises, altitude isn't given, so there’s no knowing what floor if you can’t tell them.

-In wireline 911, the address is matched with those in the street address guide, which includes a tax code that tells what jurisdiction you're in and therefore where to route the call to. In wireless, that's done based on the coordinates, so if you're near a city limit or county line, that's something to think about as you might get the wrong PSAP.

-Contrary to what’s been said above, not all locations require 911 be kept on otherwise disconnected wireline service. See CR’s new blog.

-CR isn’t suggesting anyone keep a wireline phone if they can’t afford both. They’re suggesting people who can afford it to keep a wireline phone.

-Remember that if your cell is damaged, unless you have a spare, you have no way to call 911 until you get a new one. Also, remember as said above a landline should continue to work even during a long power failure. If you do keep one, make sure you keep a couple of hard-wired, not cordless, phones around for such an occasion. Most cordless ones won’t work in a power failure and none will keep going for days (note that many cell sites do have back-up generators now, though).

-Most PSAP’s should be set up now for wireless E911, but not all are. You might want to call your county’s 911 office (look it up; don’t dial 911) to verify yours is.

-If you often leave your phone laying around and have to look for it, maybe you’re not a candidate to not have a wireline phone, since you’re not likely to forget where the hard-wired one is.

-Those worried about telemarketing calls who use their cell for all their other calls otherwise can always just turn the ringer off. There’s no law that says you have to answer a line just because you have it.

[Mitch]

This whole argument really comes down to the point that it depends on your situation. Under no circumstances should CU (a company keeping its eye out for consumers) recommend that *all* folks keep their landline service, because this is a ridiculous statement that is quite close to shilling for the landline phone monopolies.

The vast majority of Americans don't even have unlimited plans on their phones - I don't think that's the reason why a lot of folks are dropping their landline. It's just that the minutes that we have on our plans are just enough, or more than what we need. Micro-social groups (friends/families) are all signing up for the same telephone service to utilize in-network calling, which saves on minutes used, for instance.

If your situation requires it (health, kids, conspiracy theories, etc.) that's fine, keep your landline. If you don't have a cell, of course you should have a landline. But there is no logical reason for at least half of America to have a POTS line anymore, and that's all there is to it. Cell phone service is too expensive to be supplementing it with outdated technology.

[Mike Wyman]

Four reasons why I still have land lines in addition to cell phones:

1. My home fax machine won't work with a cell phone.
2. My 2nd home is in the mountains and cell phone coverage is spotty at best.
3. The gated community in which I live ostensibly requires a land-line in order to remotely admit a guest to the community. (I have my doubts about this, but didn't question it because of 1, above).
4. My wife does not want to give out her cell phone to strangers who tend to call at inappropriate times. (I, on the other hand, almost always give out my cell phone number as my home number)

[Gary]

No way I am giving up my cell phone in favor of a landline. I agree with the comments below - if I'm anywhere but home, the landline doesn't help at all. And even at home I can still use my cell. And yes, when your budget is as tight as mine, it's not worth having a landline just for the 'what if'. My NET10 prepaid is the cheapest way for me to stay in contact but it is very reliable with very, very few dropped calls.

[will]

The 911 argument is simply not a convincing case for buying a landline. In the era of cell phones, landlines are simply a waste of money, end of story.
Sure, there are exceptional instances where cell phone signal goes down, but in my area of the country (SC), I've experienced far more winters when the telephone lines were knocked out from ice storms. You shouldn't make a decision like this based on 'what ifs' - paranoia has never been a good clarifying factor in decision-making.
Stick with your first couple of paragraphs. Ditch the landline, and use your cell if you need to call 911. As Ramzilla points out, just remember to answer their first question, "Where are you?" If you can do that, you've saved yourself a heap of needless landline bills.

[Keith]

What a ridiculous question. You should be encouraging people to drop their landlines in favor of cell phones. Dropped calls are a thing of the past unless your house is moving through a tunnel. And 911 can easily track your location on a cell phone.

[Jim]

Are you kidding? Yeah let me cancel my cell phone to keep my landline. This way if I'm in a car accident I can run home and call 911 on my landline instead of my cell phone because it might take a minute or two longer for them to locate me, ignore the time spent running (with possible broken leg(s)) to my landline phone. Awesome safety tip.

Next week's safety tip: burn down any trees around your house to prevent future forest fires. You don't want to be unprepared!

[Jesmi]

New homework from Peter, we'll have industry verticals- knowledge session everyweek. My part is about consumer electronics.Happy researching

[everett whitney]

TO: MC - 11 May - " Cheapest is $27 .."

Not quite the case, please.

ALL telephone companies DO have / must provide a "limited" or "counted" or "measured" service connection! That's another of our very many 'laws!'

PLUS - that land line connection ALSO allows for the possibility of fast broadband internet @ ~ ~ $15-$19/mo., w/o tying up the phone.

You just need to BE very polite BUT insistent with their telemarketers, as these people will NOT tell you of the service offering!

Very much the same phenomena as our local cable companies ALL having new, limited channel service @ $11 - $18 / month . . . with a new HDTV, one DOES also receive at NO added Charge whatsoever the 6 - 7 major TV networks in HD!

MUCH cheaper than the commercial installation of an Outside antenna System for the 12 June DTV !

everett

[Andrew the mobile freak]

With a minimal cost of about $20 a month, I would rather have both cellphone and landline in terms of emergency. There are cases wherein you'll be needing landline over the cellphone and vice versa.

[Ramzilla]

"With emergency calls made over a landline, 911 operators know for certain the address and location of call."

They'll know the address and location for certain when I give it to them. Come on, come up with something better than that...

[Rick in Idaho]

I dropped my landline a couple of years ago and feel safer having my cell phone with me wherever I am.

Imagine being at work when something bad happens. You call 911 which gives an address but not a true location at the address. I ran the phone system for a school district where the building's address would show for that number, but not the actual location of the phone or person who dialed 911.

The real fault in the line of reasoning to keep the landline is the assumption that all of the bad things that will happen to you will happen when you are at your home.

[Diane]

When I called AT&T to cancel my land line, they suggested a low cost metered rate service. I now have the land line for emergencies at about $10 a month including taxes.

I was glad to have it when the fire alarm in my condo complex went off and I had to call the fire department. They were there in minutes, with no confusion about address. (Luckily the alarm was due to an electrical short rather than a fire.)

[J-DAWG]

911 is just another way for cops to come and harass you. When the cable company first came out with digital telephone, we'd get calls from 911 operators all the time asking if we called when we didn't.

I also had a friend who's kid accidentally dialed 911. She said they went out as soon as her kid called. The cops went snooping into her apartment and gave her the 3rd degree when she found them there.

A man in Texas called 911 to report a break-in of his neighbors' houses. He clearly intended that he was going to stop them with his shotgun. No cops in sight, the robbers got to the man's lawn, so he defended himself by shooting them dead. Of course, the cops came just in time to tackle the good Samaritan and question him about his "evil" shotgun.

If someone breaks into my house, I'm not gonna hide under the bed with a phone like a helpless victim. What's the point in that? If I have a heart attack, my family is close by to drive me to the hospital that is right across the street.

So, I have no need for 911 and don't need the extra headache of a cop visiting me just because I accidentally pressed those three numbers. And I'd rather take my chances if I don't make it to the hospital on my own, with no regrets.

[Stu]

Even if you cancel your phone service, you can still call 911 or 0 for the operator. If you remove the actual lines, then obviously it doesn't work. I didn't have Bellsouth in an apartment once and could still call the operator. Same thing applies to cell phones.

[Duncan]

I gave up having a landline several years ago. Fact of the matter is, not enough people call me to justify the extra $25+/month expense for having redundant telephone service. I really don't see cellphones as being a "luxury" item anymore; I don't see having Internet service as a luxury either, for that matter.

[DeeTee]

Having a landline won't help me if I need to call 911 from my car or while walking the dog.

If I had to choose between keeping my cell or keeping my landline I'd opt for keeping my cell.

[dougston]

...and land-line telephones are significantly more reliable during widespread electric-power outages, such as hurricanes.

Regular telephones have their own independent Direct-Current (DC) power source supplied thru the telephone utility wires.

But cell phone receiver towers usually rely on normal municipal electricity sources -- if that goes out, your battery powered cell phone has nothing to connect to.

________________

[P.S.] ...the government taxes/fees on even basic land-line telephone service are absolutely outrageous... doubling the cost of my basic telephone --- that's 100% tax on my telephone.

[Paladin of the 11th Hour]

Jedi John is on the right track. The requirement for Enhanced 911 has been in place for a few years. All 911 systems should be able to use cell tower triangulation and/or assisted GPS to pinpoint or at least narrow down the location of 911 calls from mobile phones. Given that, I'd have to say that the savings on dumping the landline are worth the risk.

[Gene]

Another reason to keep the landline: hedging your bets against disaster. When we had a moderate 5.6 earthquake here in Silicon Valley a couple of years ago -- a quake that caused almost no damage and no injuries -- the cell phone system crashed. I couldn't even get a text message through. But the landline phones kept working.
Oh, and there's also that pesky "cell phone doesn't work inside the house" thing, which I'm convinced is a cynical ploy by AT&T to keep me tethered to the landline as well.

[MC]

If they only charged $5/mo I might consider it. But the cheapest land line I can get is $27/mo. That's a chunk of change for something I never, ever use.

Also, I got tired of all the charities, political interviewers, and wrong-number dialers. I'm on the do not call list, but lots of people are still allowed to call that I don't want to talk to.

So. Not. Worth. It.

[Jerry]

Mike said: "Odds like those are why Consumers Union recommends the landline backup."

This simply calls out for more analysis. What are the odds of someone needing to call 911, what are the odds of a person not being able to provide their address, and what are the odds of the operator not being able to determine the location from the phone? After some basic math (I'm sure Consumers Union has someone on staff with some probability and statistics training), you can come up with an estimate of the odds probability that a cell phone and a land line will generate different outcomes. Throw in some risk adjustments based on the weighted severity of the call (ranging from minor injury to death), and you can estimate the probability that a call from a cell phone will result in a death or serious injury. Divide that number into $240 and you will have an estimate of the cost of avoiding that injury/death.

For all I know, that number could be $10K per indident, or could be $100M per. If the number is too high, people would be better off spending their money on other ways of adding safety to their lives. I regret that CU doesn't do this kind of analyis as part of the normal course of business. Without this information, people aren't able to make informed decisions.

[Kevin Brancato]

If you're in poor health and/or live alone, keep the landline.

But if you're young and/or live with many others, such as an extended family (or many roommates), I don't see the benefit coming anywhere near the cost -- even with an emergency situation likely.

When two years ago, my family went cellphone only, the telco retention dept. tried desperately to have us keep our landline for roughly $20 a month (plus pay per call) in case of emergency.

When I asked how much they will charge me when my 4 year old surreptitiously calls grandma long distance, it pretty much ended the retention attempt.