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| | | More and more households in the US are foregoing a landline phone service and relying solely on cell phones. But for phone service during a power outage, as well as access to Internet DSL connections and reliable access emergency 9-1-1, a landline is still a must-have. | | |
| Typical costs: | - Basic home phone service includes unlimited local calling and costs about $15 to $25 per month. Adding call features such as call waiting, repeat dial or caller ID costs from about $1 to $10 per month per feature. For information on the cost of making long distance calls from a landline phone, see How Much Do Long Distance Phone Calls Cost.
- Premium home phone service costs from about $45 to $75. Expect unlimited local and long distance calling as well as a selection of at least 3 to 5 call features such as call waiting, caller ID and return call (*69) included. Embarq Unlimited Home Phone Service offers 6 popular call features such as voicemail, call waiting and caller ID for a monthly cost of about $45. Add unlimited nationwide calling to the package and the monthly cost is $60.
- Phone lines for small businesses can be tailored to match an individual company's needs. Some phone providers can offer a single number for both landline and cell phone services, can accommodate multi-line phone systems and can offer toll-free numbers. Small business local phone service starts at about $20 per month.
- As with residential phone lines, bundling business services can reduce costs. Verizon offers a single business phone line with unlimited nationwide calling plus high speed internet access for an introductory starting rate of $80 per month with a 3 year agreement.
What should be included: | - All home phone landlines should include unlimited local calling and a listing in the local telephone directory as well as access to 9-1-1 emergency services.
Additional costs: | - Additional charges such as federal and local taxes apply to phone lines.
- Optional maintenance insurance (charged as a monthly premium) will cover any in-home wiring repairs and service. This costs about $5 per month.
- Some home phone plans require one-time fees for setup, activation, installation and equipment rental or purchase.
- Some phone line providers also offer home phone warranty, regardless of where the phone was purchased. For a monthly premium of about $5, all home phones can be covered.
Discounts: | - In some states, such as California, low-income households can receive discounts on a basic home phone line. Expect to pay $6 to $10 monthly for the phone line plus unlimited local calling.
Shopping for a phone line: | - Movearoo offers price comparisons from home phone providers such as AT&T, Verizon, Qwest, Embarq and TDS.
- Connect My Phone provides a search engine to find phone line providers in the local area.
- When switching landline providers, users can often transfer the existing phone number to the new provider.
- When selecting a phone line service, examine previous phone bills to get a clear idea of how many calls are made locally, in state and out-of-state.
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Article updated February 2010 |
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