AT&T has been raising rates on land line users up to 50 percent, the Today Show reported Tuesday morning, causing some customers to kiss their land lines goodbye.
We asked Patch Facebook users whether they still had land lines, and whether they were worth paying more.
No surprise: many had already ditched their land lines. But others said the threat of cell phones going out in an emergency mean land lines are still necessary.
In their own words, here's what our Facebook users had to say:
From Redwood City-Woodside Patch Facebook:
- The day that we lose our signals from our cell phones is when we'll think twice about keeping a land line.
From Rohnert Park-Cotati Patch Facebook:
- Yes, still have one. Pay 50% more? Only if they can block all the telemarketers.
From San Carlos Patch Facebook:
- No I do not, as of 10 years ago>
From Santa Cruz Patch Facebook:
- Yes, I'm keeping it. It works when there's a storm and the power goes out. Also, my DSL internet goes through it.
- We live in a zone that can't get cell service so what will happen to people like me?
From Cupertino Patch Facebook:
- I have one - the power goes out frequently here and I am always the first to report it on my landline.
From Half Moon Bay Patch Facebook:
- I prefer our landline! Can't stand talking on my cell... so uncomfortable and annoying! Would I pay 50% more?? NO!
From Mill Valley Patch Facebook:
- I still have a landline because I think it's more reliable than a mobile line (though I have a mobile line, too).
From Mountain View Patch Facebook:
- Honestly we keep it for emergencies mostly because we are parents. If it were just me, or just us, we might let it go, but with kiddos, well, caution reigns!
From Napa Valley Patch Facebook:
- No. I do have an old telephone and my cell. No paid landline. Mr Roker's comments are not quite true. You can plug a landline phone into your old jack and still reach emergency services. If your phone is disconnected, you can still call 911. This was part of the original privatization decision for telephone companies and upheld when Bell was split into the RBOCs.
During an earthquake or an emergency, you should not be using telephone service for anything short of life threatening issues.
From Pacifica Patch Facebook:
- What about the elderly? Nobody ever thinks of them. Cell phones are difficult for them. Paying extra because you need a landline is ridiculous..
- Gotta have a fax number
Are land lines worth the cost? Tell us in the comments below.
