Cell Phones

[daveesl77]

I refused to get on until my daughter went off to college in 2004. We went with verizon, but just the regular phone thing. When Verizon came out with the 4gLTE system and offered the unlimited data plan, my wife decided to go the smartphone route and never looked back. We did change phones 1 time in 2012, but since then, same phone. We are grandfathered in the plan and Verizon cannot legally throttle, change, block or anything else with the grandfathered plan folks like us. They hate us. Too Bad.

Yes, they did add an additional $20 per month to the charge this month (Dec 2015), the first increase since we started. Since we are "cord cutters" and use the phone as both a cell phone and our full internet service, tv, et al, then the $107 per month bill is worth it. I have a nice big 8 bay antenna at the house, for full, true HD tv of local channels. But the 200+ GB per month of data we suck off the Verizon cell towers, almost anywhere in the US is so nice at speeds up to 7 times faster than the comcrap service we used to have.

I use a VPN, so if I want to watch shows from Europe, no problem. We actually have so many viewing options it is insane. Wife watched the entire Downton Abbey series on the actual BBC months before it was available in the US, for free. We watch NASCAR and whatever NFL game we want by finding the European network that is showing it. Yes, Eastern Europe has some bigtime NASCAR fans. I don't know what the announcers are saying because I don't speak Polish, but I just turn down the video volume and instead play the MRN/PRN radio broadcast online (which is better anyway). I don't worry about buying some NFL sunday ticket, as somebody, somewhere is broadcasting the game we want to watch and we get it online.

Our cell phone can broadcast by itself as a hotspot, using PDANet+, or we usually tether it to a modified DDWRT router I built and have kick**s wifi. Verizon keeps trying to get us to pay them $30 per month for a hotspot from them, but by law they have to allow us to tether or hotspot on our own, without their equipment. The price they pay for their use of the special frequency, that only they have. If it were not for this unlimited data plan, true unlimited at full speed all the time, I would never use Verizon. But hey, best system and by far the least expensive overall option. $107 per month - phone, internet, tv, any where we are at.

dave

[Fenlason]

I have a trac phone, an old flip phone. It is never on.. unless I am making a call. I basically have it for when I am out working in the woods alone. I should have it with me other places more often than I do. I am not fond of how.. when or where many people use them. Yet I don't really blame the phone..it is a great tool as people have shared here, sort of like guns don't kill people… people do. It is selfish rude people that are the problem.. not the phone.

Their use while driving is my biggest concern. We seem to be having a huge increase in accidents.. people crossing the center line etc. I see countless every day.. all over the road.. talking or texting. I find it a worse problem then drunk driving.

[Tortoise]

I use Google Voice and LEAVE it on, "Do Not Disturb" so when people call, it goes STRAIGHT to voicemail on the first ring (or doesn't ring at all), for me to check at my convenience. They think my phone is always turned off, but it isn't. I can see immediately when they leave a message or text (if I have it on vibrate or whatever).

My phone is my only internet connection, tethered as its own wifi mobile hotspot, so it stays on all the time and I'm always connected. My service provider has gifted me with unlimited high-speed internet for the next 4 months, for some reason. Besides that, they provide unlimited video (Binge On™) and audio streaming during normal Data times.

I'm paying less per month than I did when I had home internet. I like it. The only issue is that my trailer acts as a faraday cage when I'm in it, and its aluminum construction blocks the signal more than I'd like. Since I'll be embarking on the nomadic lifestyle, it's a good solution for me.

Oh yeah, and the phone's got a 128gb micro SD card that holds my entire music library that bluetooth's to my truck's sound system when I'm driving. Even if service ever got disconnected, it's a useful tool like a tablet. It's a larger phone with an "S-pen" and all that.

[Talia62]

Phones are great, a wonderful tool. Mine is my calendar, my instant daily connection to my children and grandchildren overseas and in far away states, my weatherman, my personal secretary, my price checker, my fact checker, my entertainment, my connection to my social network, my connection to emergency services. I love technology, I think it's a fabulous thing. As far as the notion that cell phones are "rude", well...no. It's not phones that are rude, it's people that are rude.

Smart phones are a terrific tool with many uses. I wouldn't be without mine. If you want to be a luddite and eschew them, that's fine. Just don't tell me I shouldn't have mine.

[halfdome, Danny]

I was watching a TV program called "In The Know" and it said 85% of the world population had a cell phone but only 65% had a flushing toilet at their disposal.
I guess they'll come up with an app for that some day.
Here's a list of countries by number of mobile phones in use.
North Korea has the least cell phones in use.
Danny

[dales133]

Most devaloping countries are bypassing wired phone technology or abandoning it for cell phone towers as its a much cheaper way of rolling out comunication.

[Roly Nelson]

For years, I was content wih my flip phone. Then I fell in love again at age 83, and wanted to keep in touch with my sweetheart, so here I am, content once again with my new Apple 6, asking Siri all kinds of questions and am amazed at the info she has given me. Where else can I find out about odd things like: The age of the earth, when was the first TD built, what areas of the earth did the Vikings visit, and is sex after 80 detrimental to your health? Hey, we all want to know, just wait until you reach that age too.
Roly~~

[lrrowe]

I am thinking that getting rid of my landline and relying solely on our cell phones might be a good cost savings idea. But first I have to have an alternative to DSL in my rural area.

[dales133]

I am thinking that getting rid of my landline and relying solely on our cell phones might be a good cost savings idea. But first I have to have an alternative to DSL in my rural area.

Tracy and i both only use mobiles now but we have "naked" dsl at home.
Its basicly a phoneline with only dsl capabilities.
There is a way to share your phones conection theough a router if you get a cheap enough internet plan.
Ive got a 10gig plan on my phone and tracy can share it too and i hardly ever log into our home wifi now.
There are options out there.
You can wirelessly share a smartphone conection very easily though

[lrrowe]

I am thinking that getting rid of my landline and relying solely on our cell phones might be a good cost savings idea. But first I have to have an alternative to DSL in my rural area.

Tracy and i both only use mobiles now but we have "naked" dsl at home.
Its basicly a phoneline with only dsl capabilities.
There is a way to share your phones conection theough a router if you get a cheap enough internet plan.
Ive got a 10gig plan on my phone and tracy can share it too and i hardly ever log into our home wifi now.
There are options out there.
You can wirelessly share a smartphone conection very easily though

Thanks Dale.
This has not been a high priority of mine and I have wondered if my phone company would give me DSL only. Guess I need to talk to them. And I have a wireless phone plan that is very minimal in cost if I keep 60% of my calls on wi-fi. I could in theory get it to $10 per month.

[Shadow Catcher]

I have in the past been part of a number of folks suicide support team, lost one, two are no longer suicidal. So the phone is always on but I will tell the caller to call back later.
Some times it is a way for some one to disengage from reality and just plain not courteous.

[pchast]

Cell Phones.... I don't love them although they are handy when I need to use it.


On the other hand. POTS is almost infallible. Cell phones are not. It you are
considering loosing your land line please consider these local realities;

You don't need electric for the POTS to work. Have at least one conventional
(not wireless) phone.

Your POTS unit will summon 911 service without any verbal interaction.

Cell towers do not all have emergency power. Those that do often fail in
our neck of the woods.

Cell phones have dead and or confused areas with dropped calls.

Many of the same issues are problematic with cable or Internet tied telephony.

[lrrowe]

I agree with the statement about OTS being your friend. The issue for me is to get a handle on all of our expenses. But if I could get DSL without phone service, then I could look at internet phones which are not the same as cell phones even though they too are problematic (as you point out). What a mixed bag!

[halfdome, Danny]

For those who have never had a cell phone and aren't sure if one is for them... now there's The No Phone
Danny

[Redneck Teepee]

I am thinking that getting rid of my landline and relying solely on our cell phones might be a good cost savings idea. But first I have to have an alternative to DSL in my rural area.

We got rid of our land line over a year ago (we kept the internet/fax only line) mainly because of telemarketers calling incessantly all day and night, best move ever! I let ATT know exactly why I was cancelling my land line....I'm sure it went in one ear and out the other without pinging on anything.

Just went 2 weeks ago to update our phones from 4's to 6's. Our plan was so old that my account was archived, I was in the ATT store 3 hrs while they searched for me, but still managed to send me a bill every month.

The silver lining was that I purchased 2 new phones, got the grandkids 3 tablets to share so they would quit stealing my phone and upgraded to more data..... the new plan is $4 cheaper per month.

Me being an old guy but still pretty active, finds these smart phones to be a way of life now.

Working on a car and need a torque value....my phone
Going fishing and need to know if an area is open....my phone
Any question at all....my phone and Siri