AIBU to be shocked how much a landline phone is compared to a mobile

[VienneseFingers]

Looking at a landline only package for an older relative who doesn't have, doesn't want and probably couldn't cope with a mobile phone. And certainly doesn't need broadband! And doesn't make that many phone calls either- only to book appointments really.

My mobile is tariff is £9 per month, for which I get 500 minutes of calls, 5000texts and 500MB data. My landline phone plus broadband is around £18pm

The cheapest landline I can find is £11.99 with BT and only because they have been forced to drop their price and I'm not even sure new customers can sign up (there is no sign up at this price on the website, only for their £18.99 weekend calls deal). PLUS calls cost 22p per call connection charge PLUS call costs of 13p per minute.

AIBU to this this is extortion on the elderly! And this is after OFCOM has intervened. It's not like you can shop around either (even if someone with only a home phone is able to do this!) because the only other provider of landline only phones is the Post Office and they cost £16.99 a month (plus connections and call charges).

Raaaaaaaagggghhhh! It's so unfair on the elderly.

Could you not get her a mobile phone like one of these ?

TBH I understand it, no one I know uses a landline (couldn’t tell you my last three landline numbers that I had to install for broadband) they may as well make money from those that do. Also we’re starting to get to an age where most “elderly” are used to having a mobile phone.

Often, community care alarms can only be connected via a landline (ie. the intercom system where if older adult is wearing, say, a wrist or pendant alarm for them to alert someone if they fall). Doesn't seem fair that they have to pay what is sometimes a costly fee to have a line put in/rental.

But you shouldn't have to have a mobile phone, and we all have linelines for our broadband. Why is it MORE expensive to have a landline without broadband?!

Is it because they make up the money with the cost of the broadband? I think give it 5-10years and landlines cease to exist.

But landlines won't cease to exist because that's how everyone gets their broadband.

OnlyFoolsnMothers you say no one I know uses a landline. I imagine this is because you live in an urban area.

We live rurally. Not in the middle of nowhere but in a village about 50 miles north of London, 9 miles from.a city. We get bugger all.mobile signal.at home. Sometimes, if we lean out of the bedroom window, we can send and receive texts. We certainly can't make calls though.

We make all calls at home from our landline.

I agree with the OP though
It does seem ridiculous that a mobile contract including free minutes is cheaper than a landline.

Try this. BT basic specially designed for oaps. Its £5.10 a month and that includes some calls.

btplc.com/inclusion/ProductsAndServices/BTBasic/Whatdoyouget/index.htm

Everyone doesn’ get broadband through a landline. We have ditched our landline and have a cable only connection.

BT basic is only if you're on pension credits or other types of benefits sadly. But thank you for trying.

Cable only? Is that fibre?

Like EmmaGrundy we would be stuffed without a landline.

The point about alarms is a good one. At the end of the day, until mobile signals and sound quality are as good as that of a landline then I don't think we will be losing landlines just yet.

probably couldn't cope with a mobile phone
She cant cope with a mobile but she can cope with broadband internet?

As PP have said, get her an OAP friendly mobile.

Mt BT landline plus broadband is about £67 a month ( x 2 as I have two lines, 3 actually) and my mobile about £48 a month.

We have prety bad mobile signal (outer London) and I need a landline for work anyway. Even so I do spend a fair bit plus about £65 a month on Sky too. I think sky, mobile and landline/bb are about £3k a year in total.... better than when I had 6 landlines 3 years ago (don't ask.... fax, alarm, etc etc)

Walking dead- definitely no broadband! Just wants old fashioned landline phone.

MIL has to have a landline, she absolutely cannot cope with a mobile. So do we, as mobile signal is 2 bars upstairs and zilch downstairs. In theory, we could use VoIP through the router, but that can be rubbish audio quality if any other devices are running.

I sometimes use the landline if I'm looking for information on my phone during the call.

MIL used to have a mobile but could never remember how to use it. With hindsight we now realise it was the early stages of dementia.

She can remember how to use a landline but any kind of mobile would flummox her. If we changed to mobile only she would struggle to remember that the number was different even if it was written down.

Having some success with Doro6030 and giffgaff PAYG. Haven't entered a security code, so simply opening the phone switches it on. Single key press for a couple of numbers, and sticky labels on key as reminder. There's a "panic button" on the back - pressing it rings and texts all family members in turn until one of us answers.

Also giffgaff currently gives 3months free calls and texts to other giffgaff nos, so there's no cost deterrence to using it for family calls (we're all with giffgaff). Although that's not a help for booking appointments.

Otherwise, yeah, it's just another reason why being elderly makes life more expensive.

Why are landlines so much more expensive? Mobile call costs have reduced dramatically over the years. Are landline running costs much higher?

BT do seem to be pricing themselves out of the market.

As an aside, I don't keep my mobile on me and can't always hear it. I can hear the landline ringing from any part of the house.

I'm semi rural, I have a landline/broadband/tv with sky. No cable access, mobile reception is pretty patchy and almost non existent for some networks.

Hope landlines don't disappear in the next 5 years, we'd be pretty cut off here if that happened.