It is funny how phone service and phones have changed so much just in the last 10-20 years. Cell phones went from a luxury to everyone having one. The service plans on cell phones has changed a lot too. I remember getting my first cell phone from Nextel and buying a plan with like 250 minutes a month. You could only call in a certain radius of where your service was. Outside that radius was long distance and additional charges beyond your minutes would be added. Similar to a land line calling plan where you can make calls local but get hit with 5-10 cents a minute outside the area. Now cell phones can call anywhere in the country and it’s all the same. Are there even plans with minutes anymore? I assume 1-800 numbers are kept up for those preferring to call somewhere not local from a landline. My folks have a land line and get long distance charges calling my cell because it’s an out of state number. They call and say call me back! Or they just use their cells and it’s fine. We canceled the land line years ago because we just didn’t use it. Why pay a monthly bill on something you never use? I keep telling my folks the same thing. They have zero need to use theirs and it’s always a mystery to me they call me on it. I never call them on that number either. They’re old and don’t get up to walk to the kitchen to answer.
Do toll-free phone numbers have much relevance today?
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Remember, "Basic Budget Service".
I'd LOVE to see a map with land line use depicted.
I'd LOVE to see a map with land line use depicted.
We have a landline (VOIP). My son is 10 years old, and there is no way in heck I am going to get him his own cell phone. He is getting responsible enough to stay at home for short periods of time on his own, and my bride and I insist that he has a way to call 911 in case of an emergency. The capability is free with Google Fiber, so why not? It will also ring to that phone after my cell phone rings so many times...so in the case my cell is dead, or ringer is off, I can still get calls.
Umm....I thinks that was a bedpan. A receptacle mounted on the opposite end of your body.
My plan only covers calls to within Canada. When I need to make a call to the states I use an account I have with one of those free internet phone providers.
Old saying, what was wired now wireless (phones), and what was wireless is now wired (tv).
Another one, call the person not the place.
Even so, wired phones can be line powered and more reliable. I gave mine landline up first due to cost, went to much cheaperVOIP, then gave it up once telemarketing got out of control.
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During my lifetime we had rotary phones that were heavy. Some people got those shoulder brace attachments.
Phone numbers started with letters. The prefix letter would usually tell you what part of town you were calling like HU (Hudson) 2-5633.
There was no 911. If there was an emergency you called the operator. 0.
Long distance calls were very expensive. The usual reason was to let people know that someone died. “Hello, your Uncle Fred passed away last night. Funeral is on Friday. Bye.” A five minute long distance call could eat a days wages.
Back in the early 80's when my father was working in Saudi Arabia, I called him on his birthday from Chicago. We talked for about 7 minutes or so. The call cost $58.00.
