As cellular technology advances, many people drop their landlines in favor of mobile phones. With the right plan, a cell phone can be less expensive than a bundled home service or VoIP phone that requires high-speed internet.
However, some still prefer a reliable landline. These include those who need accurate 911 location service or who rely on their home phones for alarm systems.
Save Money
Many businesses are ditching landlines and moving to a virtual phone network as technology changes. This is a great option for many businesses because it saves money, improves call quality, and offers flexibility.
A land line or landline phone number is tied to physical metal or cable wires that enable voice calls, whereas cell phones use radio waves. This is one reason a landline phone costs more than a cellular phone.
However, if you bundle your home phone service with other services like high-speed Internet or cable TV, it may be cheaper to keep your landline. In addition, relying on your mobile phone as the only means of communication could lead to expensive data overage charges and international calling rates. Plus, it opens you up to daily marketing calls on your cell phone.
Better Call Quality
The call quality of a landline is superior to cell phones, whether you’re using a corded or cordless phone. The reason is that a landline’s audio signals are packaged like data, transmitted across the network, and converted back to audio before being heard at the other end.
By contrast, cell phone calls are routed through a massive network where conversations can be tapped or hacked into. A home phone doesn’t go through the internet, so your calls are protected from prying eyes and unscrupulous telemarketers.
Additionally, a landline base has a 12-hour backup battery, so you can use your wireless home phone during power outages that can interrupt cellular service.
Convenience
For some people, a landline still has its place in the home. Some enjoy having it as a backup in case their cell phone loses its charge or gets lost. Others like how it provides reliable 911 location services, a benefit often needing more cell phones.
Convenience is a big factor in customer buying decisions, especially among millennials. These shoppers are looking for businesses that make it easy to purchase products and services, from food delivery options to flexible sizing at clothing stores.
A virtual phone network offers all the functionality of a traditional landline but with the added convenience of text messaging. This makes it easier to stay in touch with customers, whether they’re calling about an order or simply asking questions.
Flexibility
A landline can be a hassle, especially if you work from home. Small phones are easy to misplace, and the sound quality could be better than a cell phone.
But a virtual phone network can offer you the best of both worlds. You can make and receive calls from a softphone that’s accessible on any device, and you can even transfer calls to a mobile app.
Flexibility is important for a business because it allows employees to keep up with the demands of their jobs and be better prepared in an emergency. To understand the flexibility trends among workers, we pooled US data from the GSS-QWL and used descriptive analysis to measure flexible work practices. We also assessed the impact of flexibility on worker well-being.