Rentals.com

Staying Connected

You are moving into your new apartment. Phone service is one of the many decisions you have to make and you have more choices than before from landlines to wireless to voice over IP. Phone companies offer a variety of bundled features and services so you can choose the one that fits your lifestyle.

Landline
This is the traditional phone service with a telephone plugged into a phone jack. You are billed separately for local and long distance service and can have different providers. Service is not dependent upon your electricity or internet connections and you generally have clear service throughout your home (and sometimes with a cordless phone all the way to your car in the parking lot). Landlines are provided by large and small telephone companies. Some of the larger telephone companies offer bundles that include other services such as DSL and satellite TV. A landline is simple to obtain through telephone company websites.

Wireless
This includes cell phones and other mobile devices. Cell phones are convenient and many people have started using them as their primary phone. Long distance and local calls are charged the same and aside from charging the phone you don't have to rely on the power company for service. However, large scale power outages can disrupt service. Reception on cell phones can be bad in some areas. If you only have service in your apartment when leaning out the window while standing on your left leg, you should probably have an alternative home phone.

Voice Over IP (VoIP)
The latest and greatest in phone service, VoIP uses your broadband internet connection to make and receive calls. While voice over IP may be the least expensive alternative, you're dependent on your internet connection and electricity for service. Many service plans offer a variety of calling features standard and you can use any touch tone phone. Some services don't use a phone at all and instead you just use a microphone with your PC.

Before making a choice in phone service, examine what time you're making most of your calls, the location of the people you're calling and where you are when you make calls. Wireless plans are usually based on the amount of calls you make during peak hours. Wireless and VoIP services charge the same for local and long distance calls but this may not be important if all of your friends and family live in the same town. Landlines are only accessible while you're at home so if you're a road warrior this may be a problem. Do you only use your cell phone when you need a knight in shining armor to come to the rescue? If your cell becomes your primary phone, your friends and family will expect you to available at all times. While many choices exist for home phone service, remember to evaluate all the options and choose the one that best fits your lifestyle.