AT&T Phone - Advanced. Any Experience?

[opus1]

I still have a wired landline at my house (yes, I am a Luddite), and AT&T is on a tear lately to have me switch over to their "AT&T Phone - Advanced" service which will use either broadband (which I don't have, see my "I am a Luddite" comment above) or the AT&T Cellular network. My take is that it's a way to plug my house line into the cellular network vs the copper coming into the house.

Anyone out there converted to this? If so, how did it go?

Debating on whether to convert to this or see if I can port my home number to my cell phone since I have the capability to have a second line on that.

Thanks.

 

[mk378]

After disconnecting the wires outside the house, you would set up is a box inside the house, supply it with electricity, and plug the simulated phone company output into one of your existing phone jacks. Landline "extension" phones are wired in parallel so connecting the box one place will energize phone service on all the phone jacks the same as if they were wired back to a landline office. Or of course you can connect the box directly to one phone, usually a cordless base station.

There is an antenna on the box that connects to an AT&T cell tower to send and receive calls. The concept works fine as long as you have a decent cell signal from the company you're using. It isn't an AT&T specific thing. All the major phone companies and some MVNOs offer them.

The Internet version is called VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) and is even more widely available, but you need a home Internet line to connect it to.

 

[dogememe]

Internet/phone providers are trying to get everyone off their old, expensive to maintain, and barely utilized copper networks and move everyones phone service to VoIP. That way they are only maintaining a single fiber-based network. Makes lots of sense. So, if you want a wired home phone for some reason, they would get you internet and you'd connect the phone to the internet modem and while it would work the same as a landline, it would run through the internet not the old telephone network.

That said, what do you really need a landline for? If you want to keep the number move it to Google Voice or a second line on your phone like you mentioned. Or heck, if you want two separate phones, get the cheapest smartphone you can find and sign up for a Mint Mobile account for $15/mo. Taking a quick glance at the Mint Mobile site the cheapest new phone is $240... or you can find a refurb/used option elsewhere. I don't know how much your landline costs but this might end up paying for itself after like year two?

 

[JohnnyG]

AT&T as well as all the rest that use copper, provides battery backup to their dialtone. They'd really like to avoid that expense as well as the copper maintenance as mentioned above.
Copper landline is almost non-existant here, and has been for @ 20 years.
I still use have a landline through my cable TV provider. My wife is the one that won't do without it for some reason. No battery backup un that line. Once the cable or power goes out, your line is dead.

Cell phones are relatively easy to keep charged duing a power outage, and cell towers are normally kept active, so there's that advantage among others.

 

[Nukeman7]

It really depends on whether the landline is an essential "need" or simply a "preference" like a comfortable security blanket. If it is absolutely a requirement, be aware that the old copper analog line service has notably better voice quality than any VOIP or cellular service and will typically function during a power outage. Once you give up your copper line, it can never be restored.

With that said, most households do fine with only a cell phone or two nowadays. If you want to keep a "landline" but are OK with cellular voice quality, you can save quite a bit on the monthly cost by purchasing a compatible cellular base station and signing up for "home phone" service through Straight Talk Home Phone @ $15/mo. or US Mobile Home Phone @ $9.99/mo. You connect your landline phoneset(s) to the base station, which in turn connects to a Verizon cellular tower. Both home phone services include features like digital voicemail and caller ID like a cell phone.

 

[Vil_Riker]

The support for copper lines continues to deteriorate and that's why they are pushing people to switch to broadband VOIP-s.

Of course, when you abandon the analog copper line phone, you might as well go 100% cellular with WiFi calling enabled and save a few dollars.

 

[opus1]

Thanks for the info. Leaning towards the Mint Mobile option, but I'm not 100% yet.

I know AT&T is anxious to get me off of the copper -- I've already received 5-6 letters offering the switch.

 

[alarmguy]

My Ooma landline that I have maintained for over a decade now is free except for the less than seven dollars a month which is for tax and FCC charges.
When we moved two years ago, I just unplugged it from my router in the old house and plugged it into the new house router. Same landline

If you want more services, you have the option of paying. It is a no-brainer if you want a second line to maintain in the house.
https://www.ooma.com/promo/services...6057&msclkid=cbac4b48eebf10f077e92cb188a45811

 

[Rmay635703]

Thanks for the info. Leaning towards the Mint Mobile option, but I'm not 100% yet.

I know AT&T is anxious to get me off of the copper -- I've already received 5-6 letters offering the switch.

My mom still has a copper landline she keeps because her cell has a very cheap, very meh service. Also family would likely loose contact.

If you want to keep a landline as yet they can’t make you get rid of it, cheap having unlimited local calls (YMMV)

Be a Luddite if you want, the company doesn’t control what you use.

 

[Skippy722]

US Mobile, “landline” will run you ~$10/month for unlimited calling.

And as a 30 year old slowly turning into a Luddite, I’m about to order one myself.
https://www.usmobile.com/home-phone

 

[jcy]

ask someone with AT&T cell service to come to your house and check how many bars of reception they get