How to choose the best home phone service provider
Cell phones have become commonplace. According to Statista, an estimated 85% of Americans have a smartphone, and that percentage is even higher when you add non-smartphones to the mix.
However, home phones remain incredibly valuable. Home phone services might not be as common as they once were, but they’re still an important component of many residences today.
This article will explore some of the benefits of having a home phone and how to select the best home phone service provider for you.
Reasons to keep a home phone/landline
There are key benefits and call features that can make getting a home phone a smart investment. Below are some of the most significant advantages of having a home phone system.
Clear call quality
Anyone who has ever tried to hear someone over a cell phone with a fuzzy connection will be able to understand the value of this. Landline phones offer crisp, clear phone quality. You won’t have to strain to hear people on the other end or shout to make yourself heard when the connection comes through a landline.
Connection to first responders
In the event of an emergency, a home phone could enable you to get help faster. First responders can access a landline phone’s physical location when a call is made for emergency services. This means that if you become unable to articulate your location for any reason, you can still get help sent to your home immediately.
Similarly, many home security companies can also tap into your home phone line when they need to send out their emergency calls, which means a home phone line can help your home security system work more efficiently.
Coverage in areas without good cell phone call quality
Unfortunately, cell phone coverage isn’t always guaranteed in every part of the United States. You might live in a remote location where there’s no cell service, or the signal is spotty at best — or you might only be able to get a signal in certain parts of your home. However, you won’t have to worry about where and when you have phone coverage with a home phone connection.
Don’t worry about losing power
You’ve probably experienced losing power in your home. Once can be frustrating, but it only gets worse if the power outage stretches on for hours, or even days. If you rely on a cell phone, you won’t be able to charge your device during a power outage, which can be risky. However, with a corded phone, you will continue to have access to your phone even when there’s no power.
Access to excellent deals
Having a home phone service can give you access to excellent deals when you bundle it with other services. Frontier® makes it easy for customers to bundle their phone, internet and TV into one convenient monthly bill. And these bundles are often accompanied by savings, which is a smart move on your pocketbook.
What to consider when choosing home phone service
As you begin evaluating home phone service providers, carefully consider how you plan to use the phone service. This will help you determine the call features that will matter the most to you.
As a home phone user, you may want access to features like call waiting, or even voicemail instead of an answering machine. These features can help you manage multiple callers at once, so if someone calls while you are on the phone, you can see who’s calling and let them leave you a message to call them back. These features are also great if you own your own business because you can receive important messages if you’re too busy to take the call. You might even upgrade to a digital answering system, which can allow you to record a message in addition to saving the messages from earlier calls.
If you want to use the phone for work calls, having the ability to connect your phone with a headset and Bluetooth can come in handy. You may also want to have three-way calling to help you with conference calls and similar business meetings. Depending on how often your phone gets targeted by undesirable callers, call blocking features can also be valuable. You can use the call block feature to prevent frustrating calls, such as telemarketers and robocalls.
Similarly, if you use your backyard throughout the day and want to make sure you can take calls when outside, look into a cordless handset versus a corded phone. DECT 6.0 technology can also help you expand your range so that you can better use your phone in the backyard and anywhere else you need it.
An internet-based VoIP home phone service can also offer a variety of advantages. By using your high-speed internet to connect your home phone line, you could spend a lot less and you can even transfer your phone number from home to home without any hassle. Internet-based phone services also often come with features like call forwarding, which is usually an extra cost with traditional phone services.
Carefully investigate the level of integration you want between your landline and your cell phone, as well. For example, the Panasonic Link2Cell technology can help you join your cell and your home phone line so that you can use a headset to answer calls from your cellphone. This can be very helpful for busy professionals, particularly those working from home.
And if you regularly call people in other countries, it’s also a good idea to think about the international calling plans available with your home phone service. Long-distance calling, particularly overseas, can be expensive on many phone plans. Knowing how the pricing on your plan works can help you make the best possible decision as you select your provider.
Home phone features to consider
Now that you’ve thought about the different ways that you might want to use your home phone, here’s a list of some call features and technical phone options available on landline service that you should also take into consideration and prioritize.
- A corded phone vs. a cordless phone
- Speakerphone
- Caller ID
- Various LCD screen sizes depending on your needs
- A handset jack
- An expandable cordless phone system (or corded, typically includes a base station and up to 5 handsets)
- Bluetooth capabilities
- Smart call features, such as spam detection
- Two-call support
- Multiple ringers
- Three-way calling
Get affordable and reliable home phone coverage with Frontier
Frontier home phone offers a high level of service and reliability when it comes to quality home phone service. As one of the leading home phone providers, we make staying in touch easier than ever — at an affordable price. With a Frontier® Voice plan, you get unlimited talk time, crystal-clear call quality and helpful call management features like caller ID, call waiting and voicemail. And you can bundle your phone service with a Frontier internet and TV plan.
Explore available home phone plans in your area. See the difference Frontier can make for you.
