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NewsWhy 1 in 5 Australians have already ditched their home phone
Why 1 in 5 Australians have already ditched their home phone

Why 1 in 5 Australians have already ditched their home phone

Tags: Consumer Action Cost of Living
Last updated by Jess Lindell on

telephones-15841The home phone is fast becoming a thing of the past for many households with around 3.3 million Australians (that’s 19%) ditching the landline altogether and relying solely on mobile phones to stay in touch, according to the Australian Communications and Media Authority.

If you have both a mobile phone and landline, you are paying for two connections when you probably only need one. This week we weigh up some pros and cons for ditching the landline and look at alternatives to see if you could save.

Weigh up Your Options
If you rarely use your landline, giving it the flick could save you money especially if you’re on a cheap mobile phone plan. But it’s important to work out how much it costs you before cancelling altogether.

Cutting the landline could also stop unsolicited telemarketers and scammers.

On the other hand, if you use your home phone regularly, and reliability is important to you, it may make sense to keep the landline.

Mobile phone coverage isn’t always reliable. Personally, I’ve gone back to calling my parents on their landline as they have terrible mobile reception.

If you have a fax machine or back-to-base-alarm, you’ll also need a landline.

What about my broadband Connection?
For a lot of households the only reason they have a landline is to get Internet connection.

But with ‘Naked Broadband’ you can get the Internet without a phone line and can avoid line rental costs too.

If I keep my landline, how can I save?
VoIP – Whether you have a landline or not, ‘Voice over Internet Protocol’ technology could save you money. VoIP allows those with reliable Internet connection to make phone calls using the Internet. VoIP calls can be significantly cheaper than landline calls. We’ve written about these extensive options, including Skype, Viber & WhatsApp here so be sure to have a read

Shop around - Seems obvious, but make sure you’re on the best plan available to your needs. If you rarely use your landline, but still want to keep it, consider ditching some of your extras. Whether it’s call-waiting or caller-ID, extras can add a lot to any phone plan.

Originally posted on .

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Why 1 in 5 Australians have already ditched their home phone

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Ross
Ross from NSW commented:

I go down to the beach most mornings for a walk & swim. I cannot believe the number of people who have a mobile stuck to their ear.They cannot enjoy an early morning walk without their phone. I am sure they would take it swimming if it were waterproof. I have a mobile phone. It sits in the console of the car for me to use if I need it, or if I am travelling. I am on a prepaid 365 day plan and my yearly spend is around $50. I am also on the NBN and get 200 local & STD calls plus adequate internet for around $40 per month. So why would I pay $$$ to use a mobile all the time. Besides who needs to be contactable 24/7 

Gerry
Gerry from NSW commented:

what is naked broadband ?? 

Laraine
Laraine from QLD commented:

Ditched because found out the rental property didn't have a line in from street - after I'd signed the lease. Never thought in this age, there wouldn't be one. Lesson -don't assume ANYTHING!! 

Joyce
Joyce from QLD commented:

The only reason we have a home phone is because of the internet. We haven't made or received a call on the home phone in over 4 years. We use our mobiles for all calls. Now I know about naked internet I will be looking into it for sure. Thanks for the tip 

Leslie
Leslie from NSW commented:

How lucky some are. I live 8ks from large southern NSW town. I had to put on landline No Reception. I also cannot get a line for internet as all hobs at exchange are full and now have to wait until someone in my area moves or???Yes. Now Optus has stopped servicing my area Southern phones less said the better with them. All providers are saying Telstra runs all and now nothing until the wonderful new ha! Providers has connected to this area. What a joke. 

Peter
Peter from VIC commented:

I have had "naked dsl " for many years now. Cost ? $ 40 pm for Internet connection plus $ 10 pm for unlimited free calls in Aus and ultra cheap calls internationally. However this excludes calls to Mobiles and 1300 calls. This also worked on my wireless Broadband prior to 'naked dsl " 

Adrienne
Adrienne from QLD commented:

Where I live in Brisbane, the internet and the mobile phone are iffy at best as we are in a blackspot and have been told by the authorities that we will never have broadband in our area. So, as a person with health concerns, I need to keep my landline operational irrespective of the cost factor. There is no other option. 

carol
carol from NSW commented:

i would love to ditch my home phone but i have cable internet and only telstra and optus do cable but i do have voip so i only use telstra as a second phone i could transfer my home phone no to voip but i`m not sure about cable adsl is not stable enough. i am with my net phone and have been for many years for $15.95m or $200 per year i get 200 calls across aus and 200 min of mobile phone every month i am VERY happycarol fitzgerald 

Ron
Ron from NSW commented:

I use Telstra's cheapest landline, no O options plus wireless broadband for 'net access. I use Vodafone's $20 a year for the occasional mobile call (on road emergencies). All up my phone costs (about) $82.00 a month. 

Beryl
Beryl from NSW commented:

I need my landline because I receive phone calls from the UK and Ireland For them to phone on mobile is too expensive , UK have phone plans where it does not cost them anything to 2 designated countries. 

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