The advantages of having a landline phone

Methods of communication have come a long way since early man developed grunts into language and later worked out how to put words into writing. Now more than ever, information can be readily transmitted using methods such as the internet, television and phones.

Ever since Alexander Bell invented the telephone in 1876 it has transformed lives. Previous forms of communication — such as the telegraph and pony express — were less direct and a lot slower with many messages taking days to be delivered rather than seconds. The fact that phones are still popular well over a century later is testament to the quality of his invention. Indeed, with the almost universal use of mobile phones it could be argued that his work and the subsequent developments have never been more popular.

With almost everyone possessing their own mobile, landline phones often get overlooked as a means of keeping in touch. There are obvious benefits to mobiles — the main being that they are portable and, with today’s phones being as small and as light as they are, they are no inconvenience to carry at all. The recent development of phones being used as cameras, internet browsers and music players — as well as the older uses such as texts, personal organisers and, of course, making phone calls — mean that they offer a great all in one package.

However, there are disadvantages too that aren’t suffered by landlines. Battery life can vary and it can be very frustrating when an important call drops out because your mobile battery has died. At other times the inability to find a signal — even in your own home — can be a cause of irritation as you feel out of the loop and unsure if anyone is trying to get in touch with you. It could even be dangerous as you would be unable to contact anyone in the case of an emergency.

Many landline packages offer special deals to make them more enticing. Some providers will offer discounted calls to your most frequently dialled numbers whilst others will provide you with free calls at certain times of the week to other UK landlines and even some international destinations, oftentimes resulting in landline packages being more cost effective than a mobile phone.

People who subscribe to a landline package will also be given a phone book, which can also be accessed online. This makes it easy to find someone’s number, either personal or business. The phone book can be extremely useful if you find yourself needing help. Perhaps your boiler breaks down, your pipes are leaking or you need a window replaced — just a quick look at an online phone book and you’re bound to find several places nearby offering the services you require, with someone coming round to solve your problem in no time.

Paul McIndoe writes for a digital marketing agency. This article has been commissioned by a client of said agency. This article is not designed to promote, but should be considered professional content.