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[Lyman Green <lymang AT gmail.com>]

On 5/9/05, ron thigpen <ron AT fuzzsonic.com> wrote:
> Calvin Powers wrote:
> 
> > But the last thing in my house that still needs that phone line is the
> > security system. If someone breaks in, it uses the phone line to call
> > the security company.
> 
> As an alternative, you might look into the lowest cost options for a
> POTS line.  I don't know if it is still the case, but there used to be
> regulations that required the providers to make a bare line available at
> a minimal charge.  By bare, I mean a pay-as-you-go local calling plan,
> no long distance plan, no special features, etc.  The idea was to make
> service available as widely as possible.  Low income homes, the elderly
> etc. would be able to make 911 calls and be checked on by family.  You
> may not find these rates advertised on the provider websites, but they
> may be out there.  Worth a call to their customer service line.
> 
> If you find out anything, please post.  I've been thinking about VOIP
> but would like to know my options for keeping one line-powered phone
> hooked up via POTS if only for 911 and power-outage situations.
> 

For what it is worth, when I wanted to order the absolute barest
minimum phone line from Bellsouth no such option was offered even
after repeated customer service inquiries.  They had NO cheap options
- the cheapest phone line was about 30 bucks a month after taxes and
services and other assorted charges.  Bellsouth would not sell me DSL
without a phone line so I had to eat that.  And that line had the
barest minimums of service(s) available WRT long distance, local
calling, etc.

Lyman

-- 
Interviewer: I've been told Dinsdale Piranha nailed your head to the floor.
Stig: No. Never. He was a smashing bloke. He used to buy his mother
flowers and that. He was like a brother to me.
Interviewer: But the police have film of Dinsdale actually nailing
your head to the floor.
Stig: (pause) Oh yeah, he did that.