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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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Someone
Someone from NSW commented:

I ditched my landline 18 months ago and find my mobile is satisfactory. If you need to make international calls then Skype is ok, but not perfect. I'm about to decide about my devices as I'm paying for iPad, laptop and mobile. One day I'll ditch the iPad and get a big screen mobile. 

Someone
Someone from VIC commented:

No. Because when you call places such as Centrelink or Vic Roads one can be put on hold for up to an hour. Imagine what that would cost you on a mobile. 

David
David from NSW commented:

Early last year,After seeing Ads on the internet I thought that I would save money by going onto the Voip system.Well to start off I had to buy a Modem which was expensive and then two special line adaptors ( as I had a fax line) and then I had to wait for all the work at their head office,When it was all connected all went well for about three weeks and then it all cut out,This was the fault of the modem and I was tought how to reset the modem and this cutting out became the norm.I had tremendous trouble over the next six months which ended with me opting out.In the process of opting out I lost my telephone number which I had had for 45 years.All my family & friends knew it .We then were given a temporary number and that added to the confusion.By the way the VOIP company would not take back all the equipment nor offer any compensation for the troubles and loss of the ability to use the phone.Eventually I went back to OPTUS with a loss of a great deal of money and loss of communications for about 9 months. 

Lea
Lea from NSW commented:

In my circle of friends and family there isn't anyone with a landline, the landline has been a thing of the past for the last 3 years. 

Karen
Karen from NSW commented:

Is it possible to have someone please contact me? We have just moved into a near new home that has VioP and we don't know the first thing about it. Previous owners had VioP connected. We want to keep a landline (overseas relatives and kids interstate) but don't know the first thing on how to go about connecting? HELP! I have contacted a few providers and none of them will come to our house and show us what we need, how to connect and to use. 

Deborah
Deborah from NSW commented:

I haven't had a home phone/land line for over 10 years, and I can honestly say I don't miss it at all. The money I originally saved on monthly line rental, and call charges, paid for wireless internet using "Unwired" as well as a pre-paid mobile phone. There are many more options now though. 

Pamela
Pamela from NSW commented:

I have a few friends who don't use their. Mobiles and so always call me on a landline. I guess they could become used to a mobile number for me, but I have the feeling they won't be bothered to ring. Have to consider your friends. 

Priscilla Caroline
Priscilla Caroline from NSW commented:

My husband has tried many time to cancel extras on our Telstra Account which we have been paying for 17 years but take no notice of our requests.Thinking of cancelling altogether. 

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