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Getting DSL without landline phone service?

A

asphalt-proof

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Aug 15, 2003
584
0
Magrathea
So my wife and I want to get rid of our landline and use cellphones exclusively. We currently use DSL through Sprint/Embarq, which is also where we get our landline phone services. Cellphone presently with CIngular but may switch to another provider. I don't want to get cable because we don't watch TV enough to warrant it and the added cost negates that reason we are dropping our landline in the first place.

So can we get DSL services without landline phone services? If not, what are some other options. Thanks in advance.
 
asphalt-proof said:
So my wife and I want to get rid of our landline and use cellphones exclusively. We currently use DSL through Sprint/Embarq, which is also where we get our landline phone services. Cellphone presently with CIngular but may switch to another provider. I don't want to get cable because we don't watch TV enough to warrant it and the added cost negates that reason we are dropping our landline in the first place.

So can we get DSL services without landline phone services? If not, what are some other options. Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
DSL requires landline phone service.

cable internet does not have to have cable TV (altho most of the time there's a discount if u have cable TV... and even if you don't get it, 9/10 times you can get cable tv signal for free :))

satellite internet? i dont know how it's offered in your area
 
I got DSL through Verizon without home phone service. It costs $4.00 more than DSL would on top of phone service, I assume to handle some sort of overhead. But that's still cheaper than Cable Internet or Phone Service + DSL.

http://www22.verizon.com/forhomedsl/channels/dsl/learnmore/faqs/availability.asp#tech5

So it is possible, most Tel-Co's are bastards though, and require you to get phone service. I think it's a monopolistic practice really.

A.) It is possible.
B.) Most companies wont do it.

From what I can tell, Verizon is an outlier in providing this service.

Edit: Made less weird.

asphalt-proof said:
So can we get DSL services without landline phone services? If not, what are some other options. Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
 
Um. you meant can you have DSL without a landline phone at all, didnt you?

Im not sure what the deal is there in the states, but i've never heard of any company offering DSL without a landline already in service.

however. you CAN technically have DSL on a line that is not "connected".
 
I am in the same situation. However, I cancelled my long distance and signed up only for local non-toll services. My phone bill dropped from around 69.00 a month to around 7.00 a month. Once my DSL contract is up though, I am switching to cable.
 
I have Sprint and you have to have a phone line for DSL. I tried to get it without it and they don't do it that way.

There are other companies that will let you, but not Sprint.
 
pengu said:
Um. you meant can you have DSL without a landline phone at all, didnt you?

Im not sure what the deal is there in the states, but i've never heard of any company offering DSL without a landline already in service.

however. you CAN technically have DSL on a line that is not "connected".
Click to expand...

Sorry I guess I wasn't very clear. Yes, I would like to do away with my landline. However, someone mentioned using local non-toll service. What exactly is that?
 
asphalt-proof said:
Sorry I guess I wasn't very clear. Yes, I would like to do away with my landline. However, someone mentioned using local non-toll service. What exactly is that?
Click to expand...

Yes you can get dsl without having an actual phone line. The way it works is they give u a phone number and its only for dsl, if u make calls on it they charge u by the minute. I have it in my apartment its called a LifeLine. Call and ask about it dude. :rolleyes:
 
asphalt-proof said:
Sorry I guess I wasn't very clear. Yes, I would like to do away with my landline. However, someone mentioned using local non-toll service. What exactly is that?
Click to expand...

Local service area is a small (usually just your city) area of phone service where there is no additional charge to make phone calls. Then there is toll service for areas outside your local area. This is usually cheaper than long distance calling. For example, I live in Salinas. If I were to call Monterey (just about 20 miles away) I am charged a toll fee to call Monterey. Finally, there is long distance calling, usually calls more than 50 miles away.

With most phone plans, local-toll calls are included in the plan, but at a significant cost bump.

Think about pay phones. You have to add more money to the phone for calls further away, while others are just the normal advertised price. That is local-toll fee.

I got rid of everything except incoming and local calls. So if I try to call Monterey, I get a "you can not call this number with your current plan" message. But If I want to order a pizza from the local place, its no problem. For all outside my city calls, I use my cell phone.
 
CaptainCaveMann said:
Yes you can get dsl without having an actual phone line. The way it works is they give u a phone number and its only for dsl, if u make calls on it they charge u by the minute. I have it in my apartment its called a LifeLine. Call and ask about it dude. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...
LifeLine is only available for low-income households so the OP may or may not qualify.

DSL+phone line typically costs almost as much as cable internet (about $50) so although you wouldn't be saving any money, you'd most likely get a much faster connection switching to cable. Although maybe if you threaten to end your service w/Sprint/Embarq they'd be willing to cut you a deal.


Lethal
 
LethalWolfe said:
LifeLine is only available for low-income households so the OP may or may not qualify.

DSL+phone line typically costs almost as much as cable internet (about $50) so although you wouldn't be saving any money, you'd most likely get a much faster connection switching to cable. Although maybe if you threaten to end your service w/Sprint/Embarq they'd be willing to cut you a deal.


Lethal
Click to expand...

Thats not entirely accurate. The OP's best option is to call in and find out what they can offer him.
 
CaptainCaveMann said:
Thats not entirely accurate. The OP's best option is to call in and find out what they can offer him.
Click to expand...
I'm not sure which part you are referring to that's not entirely accurate.
The part about LifeLine being intended for low-income households?
The part about DSL+phone line costing about as much as cable internet?
The part about cable internet most likely being faster than DSL?
Or
The part about if the OP threatens to drop his DSL+phone service his provider might offer him a deal?


Lethal
 
you should be able to get it without full phone service.

you may want to try a dsl primary provider. like earthlink.

or try the phone company until you get a customer service rep who will make it work the way you want. if the jr level rep doesnt know, ask for a supervisor.
 
I live in a pretty small town outside the Triad so a lot of the dsl-only companies don't deliver to my area.
I may end up calling Sprint and seeing about a deal to keep my business. (maybe if I switch to their wireless services??)
No I am not in low-income housing nor do I qualify for any low income anything. :)
I will try earthlink but I think that is who I have anyway through Sprint. How does that work?
 
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