Do you still have a landline phone in your house?

[forjustnow]

Just renewing my broadband contract and my provider asked if I wanted to keep my landline number. I've not had a landline phone for at least 15, maybe 20 years.

So I'm conducting a highly scientific study by asking the Mumsnet universe-
Do you still have an actual physical landline phone which you still use?

Yes

I do but we switch our mobiles off at night and sometimes during the day so it is there as an emergency measure. I never make calls on it. OH hardly uses his mobile so he gets calls from the doctor/dentist etc on it.

Long gone! I remember the old numbers though

We have excellent mobile signal and 5g, so we got rid of the land line as we realised that we never used it. We have MIFI for for the home which uses the 5g signal and gives us 275 Mbps WiFi

Yep, have it in our office as there’s no mobile signal so when I’m in the office I have to divert incoming mobile calls to the office landline.

Yes, but I'm not even sure what my landline phone number is! I only use it for finding my lost mobile phone and in case of emergencies I've taught my young DDs how to call 999. I'd worry about them not being able to call for help if something happened to me but in a few years they'll probably have their own phones.

Why do people need a landline because they have elderly parents?

Is it because the number is shorter therefore easier to remember?

I have a landline but the signal for that and my mobile are crap.

I have answered no because we don’t have one but our mobile phone service has gone down several times in the last year and I’m really beginning to think we better get one reinstated!

We’re also having more power cuts than ever before. (Though I am not sure why!)

DH and DS are on the same network as me so when phone signal goes down everyone becomes uncontactable. And I’d rather have a back up in whatever form that can be.

Yes. Dreadful mobile reception around here.

Yep, because we need it for the broadband, as we don't have FTTP here.

We've got a phone plugged into it, hardly ever rings though.

The vote looks close at this stage. Yes we do, I have no mobile so it is used to ring out but yes, mainly scammers ringing in!

I might get one because my DH never hears his mobile when I call

Unfortunately with landlines moving to digital, they’re not going to work in power cuts either, nor when the broadband system is down at the cabinet/exchange.

I use it around 5 times a day to call my phone and that's it. Is there another way I can find my damn phone when I'm home alone?

For full fibre you can get a battery pack for your hub which will power the line in a phone cut for voice calls

I wouldn't bother round here as at least one mobile phone company has indoor signal which means everyone can make emergency calls

Yes. I'm self employed and work from home and use it on a daily basis. Mobile phone reception is almost non existent in most of our house, and our broadband connection is unreliable (Virgin), so I'm reliant on the landline. I've always been very very selective about who I give my mobile number to, and only a really small number of family, friends, and a couple of work colleagues have my number.

They will work fine if you have the open reach supplied UPS at the house end, as I do - in fact it's more reliable than the old copper network in that regard. The exchange is backed up also.

This was put to the test in a recent city wide power cut, my phone and broadband stayed up for the full 2 hours, everyone else was off!

Yes, it's in the hall and available in case of emergencies. Only scammers seem to call the landline though 😁

I can't remember what our landline number is, and everyone who needs to get hold of me uses my mobile. Same for DH and the DC.

Yes. Use it occasionally but it's mainly there for when we get a power cut (note I say when, not if). Our local power network is vulnerable and we have been known to lose mobile service when it goes down. I've even got an old school analogue phone to plug in if needed.

I live in a city and I think I was one of the last in my circle to dump the landline. That was about 10 years ago. But my parents (in their 70s) still have one because reception in their village is patchy and all their friends still have landlines.

No. We stopped using our landline a few years ago. I remember my uncle, who was in his eighties at the time, being quite bemused by the fact we still had a landline as they were 'old hat.' That was me told😆

My mum really doesn't like ringing my mobile in case I'm at work, or somewhere else that I wouldn't want to be interrupted, she prefers ringing the landline and knowing it will only get answered if someone is at home. For her phone calls are something you do at home. She also used to like it if the DCs answered and she could have a chat with them before putting me on. Having said that I have gradually persuaded her by saying we no longer check the voicemail on the landline because it virtually never rings now and we don't notice the green light. But it does throw her a bit if we are talking and I say "sorry about the noise, I'm in Sainsburys" or whatever. Add that's another thing, she struggles with her hearing aids on the phone and can generally hear better if I'm at home in silence not in the car or wherever.

No. Moved house in 2013 and didn’t get it connected. DP decided this. It made me anxious at the time and seemed a bit vulgar to have mobiles only. I’m still mildly anxious that I don’t always hear the phone when it rings but glad I don’t have to worry about the flashing light indicating that I need to listen to messages. It’s better, on balance, not to have it.

Same.

Mum manages to call me on the number I’ve had for 30 years but struggles with my mobile.

I keep it for this reason only.

edited to add, if we have a long matter I do find the call clearer and reception better on the landline and it doesn’t get warm in my hand.

No. We have a landline number but no phones attached to the number for years. They got lost in the house. Then, years later i found them in a drawer, batteries no good. Binned the phones.