Disruptive Technology in action

[andrewducker]

Google buys an online phone company
The slow death of landline phones

So far as I can tell, landline phones would be almost dead if you didn't have to have one to get internet access (well, unless you're with Virgin).  The second they unbundle phones from the rest of the line charge the rate will drop massively.

Comments

[hawkida.livejournal.com]

I was without a landline for about 3 years, I think. And yet multiple forms insisted that I supply my number and wouldn't accept a mobile number. Bizarre. I took to putting in the disconnected former number so I hope they never tried to use it and called whoever it was reallocated to. I have a landline now because I can't get Virgin in my current area. I have made two calls on it, I think, and only because they were numbers that would be free on the landline but may incurr charges on a mobile - however I'm paying over a tenner a month for this!

[cdave]

I haven't had a landline in about 3 years now.

Not sure what I'd do about 0800 / 0845 numbers if I couldn't get away with calling from work. I somehow doubt even with the extra price from a mobile, my usage would add to more than £120 a year.

[woodpijn.livejournal.com]

saynoto0870.com also provide geographical alternative numbers for a lot of 0800 and 0845 numbers, so they can be included in free minutes from mobiles.

(We have cable broadband but no actual landline; Virgin keep trying to offer us one, but we wouldn't be interested even if it were free.)

[matgb]

Aye--this new stupid landline tax to pay for broadband rollout to rural areas that the Govts been touting will be the death knell.

If it comes in, I suspect many many Virgin customers will ask them to unbundle the phone; we'll probably be happy with no cut in costs, we don't use it anyway.

Having said that...

It really annoys me that my neighbours down the road both don't have a landline and are always out of credit, they constantly need to borrow the phone for basic essentials. Then again, 17 yr old couple, they'r elearning.

[andrewducker]

The levy talks about "fixed lines" rather than phone lines, so I strongly suspect that Virgin customers won't be able to escape so easily...

[cybik.livejournal.com]

I don't think landlines would be almost dead because the people who are likely to use them more are the people who are likely not to have mobiles or the internet, i.e. old people. My parents have a mobile they can't remember how to read text messages on or get the answer phone messages off. They wouldn't have the first clue about setting up an internet phone either. And considering that we have a vast number of old people in this country, I think it's going to be a while before the landline is dead.

Also, I like having landlines, because in the event of a power cut it means I can still phone people from my house-of-bad-reception. Landlines will die and vanish in the city before they do in the countryside.

[andrewducker]

well, 65% of the Czech Republic is mobile-only, which probably means that you've got 35% old people there.

But I definitely agree about the urban/rural divide.

[ashfae.livejournal.com]

International rates are still much, much better on landline phones than on mobiles, so far as I know. Particularly if you're calling to the States, where they charge you for receiving calls/texts as well as for making them.

[andrewducker]

You can make international calls for cheap from mobiles - I'd have to look at the specifics to see how much more it would be though.

[momentsmusicaux.livejournal.com]

I like my landline!
Will keep it until they take it from my cold dead fingers, etc etc.
Or until mobile phone calls cost the same.

[andrewducker]

I'm definitely lucky in that my mobile has more free minutes than I ever use in a month.

[cheekbones3.livejournal.com]

I think "almost dead" is overstating it. There are a lot of over-40s that will have a landline phone until they die. I can't see me not having one for a very long time either, it's much cheaper than a mobile, much better quality and used more often by me!

EDIT: I forgot, we get free calls to Ireland too, which is very useful.