Cell-a-phone

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farmerbob298@invalid.com - 16 Jul 2008 09:20 GMT

Is there any truth to these cell-a-phones?
I heard there is no monthly bill or separate contract. It's just a
cellphone that uses the same number as the landline home phone, and
the calls are just put on the regular phone bill. I heard the LD
calls are more per minute than the home phone, but this sounds like a
convenience that might be nice to have.

I can not see owning a cellphone, the few calls I make are not worth
the expense, and I dont want to have to cope with another monthly bill
to pay either. Those Tracphones are useful, but costly and the cards
expire. There are probably about 10 days per year when I would like a
portable phone so someone can contact me in case there is an
emergency. I might make about 10 outgoing calls per year too. That's
about it. Not worth getting a contract and all of that. But if I can
just have this thing and it be billed to my home phone bill, on a per
call basis, that would be great.

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Evan Platt - 16 Jul 2008 14:58 GMT

>Is there any truth to these cell-a-phones?

Link?

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To reply via e-mail, remove The Obvious from my e-mail address.

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Larry - 17 Jul 2008 01:22 GMT

> I can not see owning a cellphone, the few calls I make are not worth
> the expense, and I dont want to have to cope with another monthly bill
> to pay either.

I'd like to put it to you a different way.....if you don't
mind....something to think about.

Let's assume some cellphone company has a usable signal inside your
house so you can make/take calls. If not, read no further and disregard
my suggestion.

I'm paying Alltel $39.95/month for 800 minutes, including free long
distance to any phone US/Canada, free mobile-to-mobile to any other
Alltel customer anytime, free nights/weekends/holidays when I can call
anyone and talk as long as I like without using up the 800 minutes. My
"home area" is NC/SC and a region of the border states. As long as I
stay within this large region, there is no roaming. If I go to Florida
on vacation, I buy 100 minutes of nationwide service for $10 to use on
the trip. It's plenty for me. $40/month for all the calls you'd ever
make...no long distance scam of the landline, unlimited service after
9PM weekdays, all day on holidays/weekends.

Now, what did that landline at your house cost you with all the stupid
addon taxes, line access nonsense, long distance games to call the next
county or even across the street in some CLECs?

My contention is you're going at it the wrong way. Landline phones,
which only do you any good if you are HOME, and of no use as soon as you
walk outside, are obsolete, a thing of the past. DUMP IT! Take the
money you save from the useless landline and buy good post-paid
cellphone service from the carrier that does the best job in your town.
There, now you have a phone that works virtually anywhere, you won't
miss that call from your brother just because you're getting a haircut,
and have a phone to call the towtruck when the damned thing conks out
again on Rte 5...20 miles from your silly home phone. You save money
because there is no long distance ripoff on cellphones any more. Get a
plan that has minimal minutes as you rarely use the phone, but has free
nights and weekends so you can call Joe and talk for hours....on
Saturday or after 9PM on Wednesday....literally for free!

I dumped Bell$outh in 1988....and haven't missed their arrogant a.ses a
bit.

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farmerbob298@invalid.com - 17 Jul 2008 04:16 GMT

>> I can not see owning a cellphone, the few calls I make are not worth
>> the expense, and I dont want to have to cope with another monthly bill
[quoted text clipped - 38 lines]
>I dumped Bell$outh in 1988....and haven't missed their arrogant a.ses a
>bit.

Thanks for the info. However in my case I pretty much have to go with
the "disregard and read no further".
Several reasons. This is a rural area. Cellphone reception is poor
around here, and because my property is surrounded by hills, it's even
worse. Visitors often get a call on their cell, and can not maintain
a call. To get a usable signal they have to drive up the road a ways,
to higher ground. Secondly, without a landline, I get no internet
service. Dialup internet is all there is around here.

As for the person that asked for a link, there is none.
A neighbor told me that he heard about getting cell service from the
landline phone company, but not here. My phone company does not have
anything like that. Which is why I asked, that sounds like an ideal
situation for my needs.

I guess we all have different needs. City people seem to always be on
their cells. I personally think cell phones are annoying. When I'm
in the barn taking care of my animals, I dont want to be bothered with
phone calls. I got an answering machine on the landline, and that
takes most of my calls if my wife dont get them. She knows better
than to pester me with phone calls when I am doing my farm work. It's
rare that any call is what I consider important enough to disturb my
work. I do have a cordless phone which I can take ot the barn if I
need to call a veterinarian for a sick animal, and relay the symptoms
to him over the phone. Thats about the only time I consider a phone
an emergency tool.

At the same time, there are a few days each year when I have to
travel, and need to be in contact with the farm. That's when a cell
would be nice.

Thanks

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Larry - 17 Jul 2008 16:17 GMT

farmerbob298@invalid.com wrote in news:d9dt745jbcfoemq9rcilfp7bm9rrn8jid2
@4ax.com:

> At the same time, there are a few days each year when I have to
> travel, and need to be in contact with the farm. That's when a cell
> would be nice.

I see your situation. Too bad the FCC doesn't force them all to serve
rural America.

Thank you for the food we eat. I'm sorry your portion of the profits is
so low.... I was raised on a Holstein dairy farm myself. The Vietnam
draft changed my life. Most all the farms back home are just laying
there in ruin, now.

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