Having a land line was the norm not so long ago. For some, the concept of giving up our land line is quite strange. However the trends are changing. Over the past few years, technology has given us several alternatives to the familiar house phone wired to the socket in the living room.

First came the mobile phones which initially could hardly be stored in a pocket. These gradually became smaller. But even more importantly, features were continually added, making them increasingly useful. Text messaging, sharing photos and videos and having on-board memory to save the multiple media formats increasingly made cell phones a standard device across the various demographic groups within the society.

Then came internet telephone. Companies like Yahoo, MSN and Skype began offering cheap and sometimes free calls between computers. These services also gradually became feature rich adding practical benefits together with the convenience and economic value that internet communication now affords.

As a result of these changes, that which once would not have been contemplated is now not so strange. However, should the availability of alternative forms of communication, relegate the land-line phone to the archives of communication technology? Let's have a look at the pros and cons of these alternatives;

Here are some advantages of alternative technologies

1. They are generally easy to get access to, for example prepaid cell phones which require little documentation and internet phone services that just require an intenet connection and a PC.

2. Cell phones can be used in some areas that do not have land line services. Similarly, satellite internet can be used for communication, where wired telephone services are unavailable.

3. Mobility is a real plus for cell phones. This is also true for some internet phone services that allow for call forwarding to a cell phone.

4. Canceling and resuming service is simple with a prepaid phone service as well as for internet services.

5. You can easily define a phone budget with the prepaid option as well as an internet phone service. In addition, the latter allows for free communication when both parties are on-line.

Despite these undeniable benefits, there may be a few disadvantages like the following;

1. Land-line services may cost less per minute than cell phones.

2. Some areas with land line service do not have mobile services.

3. If you give up your land-line it may take some time to get reconnected if you change your mind.

In the final analysis you really have to weigh the benefits and risks of giving up your land-line phone based on your particular circumstances. No solutionwill be good for all, although I think the tables are increasingly favoring alternative technologies.

Yours in Technology

Learn more about this author, Roy Jacobs.
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