News

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 Someone 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 .

Join the conversation

FiftyUp Club
Why 1 in 5 Australians have already ditched their home phone

Would you consider ditching your home phone? Share your views with other members. 

Want to leave a comment? or .
Read our moderation policy here.
Jacqueline
Jacqueline from QLD commented:

Remo, I have the same arrangement as you, except I pay $60 per month for 10Gb and $30 pa for the mobile. I checked with Optus & Telstra and they both agreed that this is the cheapest for me. A 1 hour call on my mobile would cost $82 but that is because I am on a long-life pre-paid arrangement, not using the mobile often. 

Remo
Remo from QLD commented:

The Optus 50s Plan gives me a landline, all calls free (except 1300 nos. and to mobiles), no line rental cost, and 5GB of data - all for $50 per month. I avoid calling mobiles if I can help it, so I pay $50 per month or a little over if there had been 1300 calls made. I have a prepaid mobile for emergencies only with a yearly topup of $20. 

Pamela
Pamela from VIC commented:

We chose not to have mobile phones mostly for health reasons. There is still not enough evidence out there to convince us that they are safe. If there is a land-line phone then we'll call that rather than contact a mobile. Like some of the other comments from people below our elderly parents prefer not to ring mobiles and also the cost factor is an issue. My Mum is in country Victoria and we can be on the phone for up to 40 mins each day - for a lot of elderly people this is a highlight of their day and they look forward to it, especially if they are on their own. What you never had you don't miss! 

Jennifer
Jennifer from QLD commented:

My wife and I both have iPhone 4s's, we are with Amaysim, costs us $90 a month for both. We get free calls and 5 gig each, we use our phones as a modem no problem. I am nearly 70 and have no problem with mobiles, we haven't had a land line for 6 years and the only people that don't ring are not important anyway and NO TELEMARKETERS! 

Tracey
Tracey from QLD commented:

I don't have a landline. I use Skype. You can purchase local landline numbers through Skype. I have bought a local Brisbane number. Cost with a subscription is $40/year. My daughter is in Orlando USA so I also bought a local Orlando number. My parents, children call these local numbers and it costs them a local call. I then have Skype forward the calls to me on my mobile. This works well because I never miss a call from any of them. I use Skype to call my parents landline. My parents never go near a computer. I'm O/S a lot so this works out perfectly. The Skype Subscription for call costs is $14.95/month. 

George
George from NSW commented:

I use my mobile for emergencies only, either in the car or at home. I'm on a "call credits never expire" plan with Savvytel, so I don't have to pay any monthly fees as you do with all other plans where your credits expire on a monthly basis. So far, I've paid a total of about $20 (calls only) for this plan over several years! My main gripe is having to make expensive calls to those who have ditched their landlines. I can't believe the exorbitant fees people are paying monthly on their mobile plans. I'm paying about $25 monthly line rental for my landline and it's bundled with a broadband oonnexion. Very happy with this situation and feel no desire to change it for fashion's sake. 

Someone
Someone from NSW commented:

The landline is SO MUCH CLEARER! Also the landline is SO MUCH MORE COMFORTABLE to hold when sitting back inside for a long conversation. 

Deborah
Deborah from QLD commented:

i keep the landline because there is hardly any difference in price for internet with/without home phone. 

helen
helen from NSW commented:

I have a mobile phone but I will be keeping my landline on because my mobile is kept on bu is always in my handbag, I don't walk around everywhere with it so I wouldn't hear it 

Ivan
Ivan from QLD commented:

No, because Voip is unreliable and my sister and elderly relations would never call me. I have a $49.95 capped plan with Southern Phone Co. which gives me $20 landline credit and $100 mobile credit. I make local calls on my mobile if they are going to be brief, and my monthly bill never exceeds about $50.00. An elderly friend ditched her landline and now finds she gets very few call from friends, even though she has offered to call them back when they ring. And like Julie said, elderly people find mobile phones very confusing. 

Comment Guidelines