Cable providing home phone service

[Sticky Spice]

I have Time Warner cable and am considering using their phone service. We don't use our phone much and we come out way cheaper (I think) if we get their cable/Roadrunner/phone package.

Anyone had experience with this kind of phone service? Only drawback I see is that when cable is out - phone is out.

[Tavish]

We had the Cox digital phone service for a month. After regular outages and problems along with perhaps the worst customer service experience ever (a really freaky story) we switched back to SBC. The $5 savings a month was no where worth the hassle.

[Fireball Express]

Here on Long Island we have a phone company, Verizon, now offering fiber-optic cable TV. "Operation Squash Cablevison" will surely put a dent in that greedy bastard Dolan's pocket.
Monopolies
Freedom of choice

Don't know much about Time Warner. I just wanted to express my joy that us people who can't opt for satelite TV due to too many trees surrounding our houses can finally rid ourselves of a cable tyrant.

[Pogotheostrich]

I've got my phone thru the local cable company and I really like it. The only real drawback is that when the power goes out the phone goes out.

[Coppermine]

I have a quickie question; I have not had a landline style phone for about 5 years... I don't see much of a point having a cell phone and especially now that almost everywhere you can use that as your home phone number now.

Now, I don't even pay a whole lot a month for my cellular service, and I certainly don't spend much time gabbing on the phone. I call my mom in Florida once a week, but even then, my cell bill is never more than the flat $50/month.

So why bother? I'm sure you have a cell phone, everyone does now... I've just been trying to talk people into this. It's like an aversion that you have to have a household phone. Also, but just using your cellular number, you don't have to be listed in the phone book or get harrassed by telemarketers. And, of course, if someone important calls and you're not at home... you can still get it.

I don't know, just my two cents, everyone I've talked to seems to have their own reason for paying for the landline.

[slomo007]

We had the Cox digital phone service for a month. After regular outages and problems along with perhaps the worst customer service experience ever (a really freaky story) we switched back to SBC. The $5 savings a month was no where worth the hassle.

Cox is absolutely horrible...I have had my own problems with them and their terrible customer service.

But, I'm moving in to a house next month that has no internet option besides Cox, Dial-Up, or Satellite internet (expensive) so it looks like I'm stuck. I really will miss SBC DSL.

[slomo007]

I have a quickie question; I have not had a landline style phone for about 5 years... I don't see much of a point having a cell phone and especially now that almost everywhere you can use that as your home phone number now.

Now, I don't even pay a whole lot a month for my cellular service, and I certainly don't spend much time gabbing on the phone. I call my mom in Florida once a week, but even then, my cell bill is never more than the flat $50/month.

So why bother? I'm sure you have a cell phone, everyone does now... I've just been trying to talk people into this. It's like an aversion that you have to have a household phone. Also, but just using your cellular number, you don't have to be listed in the phone book or get harrassed by telemarketers. And, of course, if someone important calls and you're not at home... you can still get it.

I don't know, just my two cents, everyone I've talked to seems to have their own reason for paying for the landline.

Copper, I agree with you, but keep in mind that the reason for this thread was because cable companies actually give you bundle discounts to have the phone line thrown in with the TV/Internet package. So it's actually saving you money to have the phone line. I didn't want one either but when I learned this how can you pass it up to pay more money for less? I have a phone in my house that I give out to people/businesses who I don't want to call me. I have 1 single phone hooked to the line, but the ringer is always turned off. The phone is there for emergency purposes only.

I agree though, phone lines are a thing of the past.

[Omaha Red Sox]

We had the Cox digital phone service for a month. After regular outages and problems along with perhaps the worst customer service experience ever (a really freaky story) we switched back to SBC. The $5 savings a month was no where worth the hassle.

Similar experience here. We have Cox Cable and Cox Internet. We tried the package deal, but after we kept getting screwed around, we switched back to Qwest.

[slomo007]

We had the Cox digital phone service for a month. After regular outages and problems along with perhaps the worst customer service experience ever (a really freaky story) we switched back to SBC. The $5 savings a month was no where worth the hassle.

Similar experience here. We have Cox Cable and Cox Internet. We tried the package deal, but after we kept getting screwed around, we switched back to Qwest.

So do you pay more without the phone line? I'm looking to sign up for a bundle for a new house that we're moving in to, and everything I've seen looks like it's cheaper to have the phone line. I'm even considering ordering the phone line and then never even installing the VOIP box for it.

[Omaha Red Sox]

We had the Cox digital phone service for a month. After regular outages and problems along with perhaps the worst customer service experience ever (a really freaky story) we switched back to SBC. The $5 savings a month was no where worth the hassle.

Similar experience here. We have Cox Cable and Cox Internet. We tried the package deal, but after we kept getting screwed around, we switched back to Qwest.

So do you pay more without the phone line? I'm looking to sign up for a bundle for a new house that we're moving in to, and everything I've seen looks like it's cheaper to have the phone line. I'm even considering ordering the phone line and then never even installing the VOIP box for it.

It does cost more to not have the package, but it is worth it to be rid of the hassle...