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AIBU?

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Original poster

Do you still have a landline?

106 replies

TheyNicknamedHerTheBolter · 31/08/2024 11:36

Mindless Saturday wonderings.

So last night I spent about an hour on the phone to an elderly relative.

She mentioned that she was sat in her chair and could see out of the window, while I was on my mobile using one hand to hold the phone and the other to clear the absolute hurricane of toys that my DC has spread throughout the house, load the dishwasher and wipe the kitchen sides.

I tend to do lots while I'm on the phone because I like to walk and talk, but remember (when I was a teen at home) having only a landline when it was a case of stand still, talk, do nothing else. Ours wasn't even near a chair so we would be stood, twirling the cord around, chatting.

Me and DH had a landline in our first home 15 years ago but has the ringer turned off.

I'm just being nosey.... so you still have one? And if you do, can you sit down by it?! I suppose the aibu is 'to only have a mobile' 🤣

OP posts:
Nourishinghandcream · 31/08/2024 12:23

Have a landline but it is part of our full fibre BB so if the power were to go off, it would not work.
Don't pay any extra for it, included in our BB deal.
Find it handy as neither of us are glued to our phones (sometimes we can't even remember where we have put them down😆) but the landline handsets are always where they should be.

mbosnz · 31/08/2024 12:25

Yes, but as much as anything it's a bit of a hang over from the quakes. We still had the phone, because we had the landline. An awful lot of people didn't because mobile was down, and it took days to come back. Very terrible days, when we didn't know whether people were alive or dead.

PenguinIce · 31/08/2024 12:27

I still have a landline tied in with the broadband. The only person who calls the landline is my elderly neighbour.

I always find calls on mobiles rushed and hearing of your relative sat looking out the window whilst on the call sounds nice. Which makes me wonder why I have never thought of sitting down and looking out of the window whilst on mobile calls. I always ending up doing some chore, I suppose because I can.

CranfordScones · 31/08/2024 12:30

Yes and no! I'm old enough to remember landlines. I only have a fibre internet connection but I have a landline number and a traditional landline phone (it's voice over IP) so it passes the duck test for a landline. It's on my desk. I like it!

Isis1981uk · 31/08/2024 12:35

I only have the line for Broadband, but we haven't had a house phone for at least 8 years. Everyone I know just uses mobiles, so we would only get cold calls on it in any case!

Peakpeakpeak · 31/08/2024 12:36

Yes but it doesn't actually have a phone attached! I don't even know if it works.

Solmum1964 · 31/08/2024 12:40

midgetastic · 31/08/2024 12:16

If you really have no mobile signal for emergencies , the copper line is still in the ground and can be reconnected to a voice system - you have to ask for it

This isn't necessarily true.
When BT installed our full fibre broadband the old copper wire was removed from our house to the telegraph pole.
There was no option to keep both the copper connection and full fibre.

Riapia · 31/08/2024 12:52

I need my landline to find my mobile, I lose it regularly.
😉😁😁.

JMSA · 31/08/2024 12:54

I have one but it's pointless really.

Hurdygurdygirl · 31/08/2024 12:59

I have a landline. You used to have to have one for broadband. I don't use it to make calls as it is expensive as I do not have a call package as I used to. Some people call me on it but I only give out the number to a few people -close family and GP.
Figures show that almost half UK households still have a landline, which is still a lot of people, though many of these never use the phone.
I can't imagine there can be many people now with a fixed landline phone. I have had a cordless one for many years.

Dontcallmescarface · 31/08/2024 12:59

We have a landline because the signal here is rubbish so in the event of n emergency the landline is more reliable (we are going to be absolutely stuffed when the phonelines are no longer available). It's a cordless one so we can use it anywhere.

TammyJones · 31/08/2024 13:00

Trinity65 · 31/08/2024 12:13

No

I pay via SKY for line rental (in with BB I think) but I don't own a landline phone
I do have a phone number for it though via SKY, should I wish to purchase one

We're the same ...though we do have the hand set in another room
It occasionally rings.

midgetastic · 31/08/2024 13:01

To keep the copper you need to have a valid reason - one of which is no mobile signal, another is the reliance on the line for alarms, I think very old person who can't cope with tech change also counts

They will have taken the copper down to avoid a weight problem on the pole - you need to have made the case to keep copper before that

The copper will exist further back though - it's still in the ground, just your last drop that has been removed

MrsClatterbuck · 31/08/2024 13:01

Had one with BT fir years and got one again when I moved house. Only my mum and my older relatives used it. Dm and another one is now deceased. Changed from BT to Sky 3 years ago and have the line still but also have a deal where I can ring abroad included in package. Sibling lives in another country. I know O can phone and video with WhatsApp but generally use the land line. I have 3 handsets but only used at most twice a week. No one phones dh on landline only his mobile. Think it is changing next year but wondering how those with emergency call buttons will do.

LondonQueen · 31/08/2024 13:01

I still have one that came with my broadband package, it's useful in case the wifi didn't work as I'm rural and there's no phone signal in the house, however the landline works just fine.

midgetastic · 31/08/2024 13:03

Also for those with poor mobile signal

In the event of. 999 call being made it will be priority over the network and everything else will get bumped of needs be

It will also use any network , not just who you are with

Ratfinkstinkypink · 31/08/2024 13:06

Yes, I have just had to switch over to a broadband landline though, I'd love to do away with it but my mobile signal isn't reliable enough to actually be able to have a proper conversation.

FinallyYouSaid · 31/08/2024 13:09

Yes. Cordless. Reasons:

We have spotty mobile signal.

I like having a surefire way to get in touch with the dc (teens) when they're home alone. No possible 'oh sorry my phone was in my bag/on silent/dead' or whatever.

I often speak on the phone to my mum or one of my sisters for half an hour plus and it's just more...comfortable. Plus no worrying about my battery running low, where's my charger etc.

CarlaH · 31/08/2024 13:11

Certainly do. The quality of calls over mobiles is far poorer in my experience, often cutting out or with a small delay. The mobile signal in our home is very poor which might account for the above.

Psychoticbreak · 31/08/2024 13:12

Yes and its sole purpose is for me to locate the mobile when they kids are not home cos I lose it twenty times a week.

MigGril · 31/08/2024 13:23

midgetastic · 31/08/2024 12:16

If you really have no mobile signal for emergencies , the copper line is still in the ground and can be reconnected to a voice system - you have to ask for it

Hahaha not if BT have stripped out the old copper cables like they have round here.

There was a lot of complaints at the time, we are OK as just about get mobile phone signal and can get signal over WiFi. But it's semi rural around here and there are plenty of areas you can't get a mobile signal 🙄. They just seem to assume everyone lives in an area with good coverage.

focacciamuffin · 31/08/2024 13:26

Yes, although it is VOIP. We are stuffed if there is a power cut because our local mobile signal dies too.

midgetastic · 31/08/2024 13:27

Most of the copper is still there - it's just a space / weight thing to take out the last drop

If you have a real issue you can still get copper but you should make that clear before they start work

You don't need a GOOD mobile signal for emergency calls - absolute basic minimal signal will do

And often just outside the front door works even if indoors is very poor ( wall construction ) - and since you would have to crawl to the landline you may as well crawl to the door in an emergency

Wingedharpy · 31/08/2024 13:27

I still have a landline as my broadband is linked to it.
I hate a mobile phone for phone calls.
The shape is completely wrong for holding for any length of time, and it can be difficult to hear what people are saying at times.
Cost of calls though, has recently gone excessive with my provider - I think they're trying to wean us off them ready for turning them off next year.
I've bought a wired old fashioned handset that plugs in to the mobile and now use that for making most calls, though, I still haven't worked out how to answer an incoming call!

Floralnomad · 31/08/2024 13:28

We still have one , cordless answer phone so you could in theory sit where you like . I haven’t used it for about 5 years and we only keep it so that my 90+ yr old MIL can ring my husband as she refuses to keep her mobile switched on . We have it on a pay as you go thing with BT and as we don’t make outgoing calls it costs us £2.46 per month .