isp and phone lines ?

i have been wondering about this.
why is it in this day of broadband, that we have to still have to pay for a
phone line?


it is possible to use/have a broadband connection without a phone line.
i do not mean the line from your house, as you need the wires,
but i mean, why do we have to pay to be connected to make phone calls.

we never really use the phone, so we would not miss it, but if i get the
phone disconnected then i have to loose the broadband.

(i think that makes sense)

" banjo" <- (E-Mail Removed)_> wrote in message
news:an1Ch.12166$(E-Mail Removed)...
>
> i have been wondering about this.
> why is it in this day of broadband, that we have to still have to pay for
a
> phone line?
>
answers based on the assumption you are UK based...
>
> it is possible to use/have a broadband connection without a phone line.
> i do not mean the line from your house, as you need the wires,
> but i mean, why do we have to pay to be connected to make phone calls.

you dont. Virgin can provide cable (in the old NTL / Telewest areas) - phone
line optional.

where you get broadband via ADSL - i suspect it is more about the wires
inventory for the copper - this "stuff" was all built out on the assumption
it was there for phones......

Also the ISP probably doesnt provide the wires - the incumbent telco (BT)
does that, and they want to be paid for something.

The LLU (local loop unbundling) system does allow "someone" like Virgin to
go rent the copper wires from BT and do what they like with it - but the
basic assumption is that nearly always includes a POTS phone line.
>
> we never really use the phone, so we would not miss it, but if i get the
> phone disconnected then i have to loose the broadband.

look upon it as rental for the wires?
>
> (i think that makes sense)
>
--
Regards

(E-Mail Removed) - replace xyz with ntl

" banjo" <- (E-Mail Removed)_> wrote in message
>
> i have been wondering about this.
> why is it in this day of broadband, that we have to still have to pay for
> a phone line?
>
>
> it is possible to use/have a broadband connection without a phone line.
> i do not mean the line from your house, as you need the wires,
> but i mean, why do we have to pay to be connected to make phone calls.
>
> we never really use the phone, so we would not miss it, but if i get the
> phone disconnected then i have to loose the broadband.

I assume you are on DSL hits the phone line.
Check to see if you can drop the phone service but keep the DSL, They might
offer dry "loop service" but IF they do it's likely to cost more than paying
for the basic telephone service
How much are you paying for service and what speeds?
If you only have basic telephone service which is likely only costing $10-15
a month thats not to bad.considering you get a REAL phone line in the advent
that something serious happens around you.
A cell system can be locked down for hours in less than one minute if
something happens around you.. a land line on the other hand will last
somewhat longer and requires no power to use it.

Adair

Adair

On Sun, 18 Feb 2007 19:00:22 GMT, in alt.internet.wireless , " banjo"
<- (E-Mail Removed)_> wrote:

>
>i have been wondering about this.
>why is it in this day of broadband, that we have to still have to pay for a
>phone line?

You're paying for maintenance of the copper and circuitry in your
local exchange. You need this for your DSL line.

>it is possible to use/have a broadband connection without a phone line.

Cable broadband.

>we never really use the phone, so we would not miss it,

You'll miss it when there's a terrorist alrert & the mobile phone
network is swamped or offline. This is what happened in London a
couple of years back. Landlines were very much in vogue...
--
Mark McIntyre

Mark McIntyre <(E-Mail Removed)> writes:

> On Sun, 18 Feb 2007 19:00:22 GMT, in alt.internet.wireless , " banjo"
> <- (E-Mail Removed)_> wrote:
(snip)
>>it is possible to use/have a broadband connection without a phone line.
>
> Cable broadband.

Mmmm. Also, we actually get broadband through radio link to a local
mast.

>>we never really use the phone, so we would not miss it,
>
> You'll miss it when there's a terrorist alrert & the mobile phone
> network is swamped or offline. This is what happened in London a
> couple of years back. Landlines were very much in vogue...

Well there's always VoIP over broadband too. (-:

-- Mark

On Mon, 19 Feb 2007 20:30:18 -0500, in alt.internet.wireless ,
(E-Mail Removed) (Mark T.B. Carroll) wrote:

>Mark McIntyre <(E-Mail Removed)> writes:
>
>> On Sun, 18 Feb 2007 19:00:22 GMT, in alt.internet.wireless , " banjo"
>> <- (E-Mail Removed)_> wrote:
>(snip)
>>>it is possible to use/have a broadband connection without a phone line.
>>
>> Cable broadband.
>
>Mmmm. Also, we actually get broadband through radio link to a local
>mast.
>
>>>we never really use the phone, so we would not miss it,
>>
>> You'll miss it when there's a terrorist alrert & the mobile phone
>> network is swamped or offline. This is what happened in London a
>> couple of years back. Landlines were very much in vogue...
>
>Well there's always VoIP over broadband too. (-:

:-). Not when the local 'net is down. Happened in our HK office a
month or so ago. Some inconsiderate b*gger made an earthquake happen
nearby.
--
Mark McIntyre