5 Great Reasons to Have a Landline
Only about 37 percent of Americans still have a landline, and you can’t swing a stick without hitting a new report on how home phones will soon be obsolete. It’s understandable. With cell phone service costing the average family hundreds of dollars each month, it’s easy to justify saving $20 or so by cutting what seems like a redundant service. But is it?
Everyone doesn’t need a landline. But for some people, it’s an inexpensive way to increase home security, enjoy clearer calls, and create a layer between themselves and scammers. Here are some top reasons to keep your landline - or add one!
- 911 works better on a landline. Cell phones rely on GPS to send location to emergency services. It works well if you have a strong signal in your home. But what if you don’t? Or what if weather or other conditions are interfering with your signal? Worse, what if you are injured or in danger and can’t speak? Landlines, including VoIP lines from IMU, are connected to the 911 network with your address, so help can be sent even if you are unable to talk.
- Your calls sound better on a landline. Cell reception can vary widely, even inside your home. A VoIP landline, even with a cordless phone, offers a stronger, more consistent signal throughout your home. No more “Sorry, I only caught every other word. Can you repeat that?”
- You can stop marketers in their tracks. Wherever we go these days, it seems we’re asked to fill out a form that includes our phone number. Often, new spam calls begin to barrage our cell phones soon after. Unfortunately, there aren’t any strong consumer protections to make that stop, but we can get some peace by sending them to our landline voicemail. It doesn’t take care of randomized dialers, but it can reduce the volume of calls you receive.
TIP: If you’ve never registered your numbers (including cell phones) with the National Do Not Call Registry, you can do it here: National Do Not Call Registry.
- Landlines connect to medical alert systems. If you live with someone who is disabled or elderly, the time may come when they need a medical alert system in the home, in case of falls or other health emergencies that might occur when the person is alone. They work with both VoIP and traditional landlines, but not cell phones.
- Power outages are no problem. Every IMU landline comes with an 8-hour battery backup in the event of an outage, with a 24-hour backup available for a low fee.
Did you know? Adding a VoIP landline through IMU is inexpensive, starting at just $9 per month when you bundle with fiber internet service or expanded TV.