It seems like our lives have been dictated by our cell phones since they’re turned into smartphones over 15 years ago. In fact, since wireless communication has been dominating the marketplace for a while, the use of traditional landlines has been dropping drastically. But before you ditch your residential phone, there are some reasons to consider keeping your residential phone plan. This article will help you decide if a landline is still necessary in your house.

EMERGENCY ACCESS

Of course, we hope to never need 911, but if you do, making the call with a landline is still a much better option than a cell phone. Technological advancements in the last few years make it possible for many cellphone calls to be traced – almost pinpointing the location, but dispatchers are able to see a home address immediately when you call from a residential phone. If you’re in a position where you can’t communicate clearly with the operator, or if your phone has a bad connection then it has a higher chance of failing you than a landline.

A RELIABLE BACK UP

This morning my coworker dropped her phone in the toilet. She wiped it down with an antibacterial wipe and then put it in some rice to help dry it out. This ordeal caused her to be late, and she didn’t have a home phone to call the boss with a warning. She’s hoping to go home and be able to turn on her phone, but in the meantime, she’s stressing out about researching a new phone and being without one for a few days. Having a home phone would take the panic and stress out of the situation and allow her time to properly research her new phone and the plans available.

SAVINGS

This reasoning is actually two-fold. First, you could save through the act of bundling. Some telecom providers offer cheaper rates on cable and internet if you have a home phone. Savings can also come from your long-distance bill. Many cell phone plans include national calling, but not international. Meanwhile, residential phones are offering great deals now on long-distance plans.

SEPARATION BETWEEN WORK AND PERSONAL

With more people working from home now than ever before, there’s a renewed interest in landlines. In some cases, office phones are being forwarded to the residential phone set up for the employee at home. Since research is continuing to show that a healthy work-life balance is essential, the need to separate work from home is met through this option.

PLANNED OBSOLESCENCE

No one can force you to upgrade your landline and that is a beautiful thing. You’ve probably noticed that older smart phones don’t work anymore, just because their operating system can’t be further updated, to stay current. Planned obsolescence is when an organization designs a product to fail after a certain point, forcing the consumer to upgrade. It is a huge reality in the cell phone industry, but one of the biggest perks to having a residential phone.