If you don’t currently have a landline phone, whether as its own service or as part of a package including internet and TV, then you may well be living perfectly happily without it. Since cell phones became affordable and in mainstream use, the number of homes with a landline telephone number has dwindled, and most people tend to give out their cellphone number first when giving a number to a new contact. If this is the case for you, you may wonder why most TV and internet packages even include a landline number and service – after all, you only really want to get the TV and broadband.
Sometimes, because the phone is included, people sign up to the internet and TV bundle they want and then never actually connect or use a landline phone on their service. While of course this is a perfectly valid thing to do if you are still getting good value for the services you initially wanted, there are some good reasons to actually start using the landline phone, too:
It Is Better for Calling People When You Are at Home
If both your included landline phone deal and your cellphone plan give you unlimited calling minutes, you may think there is no real benefit to calling people from your home phone instead when you are there. However, it can be a lot more convenient to wind down your wireless home phone’s batteries than your cellphone’s if you are on a long call, or you can even just use a corded phone with no battery concerns at all. This leaves you free to use your smartphone while you are talking to look up things, take notes from your call and whatever else you need to do, without having to go hands free. If you pay for calls to people on other networks, calling on your landline can also be cheaper or even included in the package you are already paying for for your internet and TV.
You Can Give Out Your Cellphone Number Less
Another good reason to have a landline is that when you have to give a number – for instance when you sign up for a service – you can avoid giving out your cellphone number to people you don’t really want bothering you when you are out and about. With a lot of services, your TV will actually show you the number that is calling or the area they are in, so it is easy to screen calls too.
It Can Look More ‘Legitimate’ If You Do Any Kind of Work From Home
Having a landline is, for various reasons, more trusted than having a cellphone number. If you run your own business or even just sell things online, having a landline number to give out makes you appear more trustworthy and legitimate to potential customers or suppliers.
A landline may no longer be an essential, but it can still be a useful addition to your home, so if you find a good internet and television package that includes one, why not set it up!
Even though I rarely use my landline I still think it is good to have. I mostly use it when I call my family to save my phone’s battery like you suggested. I will also admit that having a landline is great for calling your cell phone when it is lost somewhere in the couch.