# Home phone service



## brad (May 22, 2009)

We have home phone service with Bell, which is ridiculously expensive and getting more so. We are looking into alternatives.

My girlfriend refuses to have a cellphone (she hates them), so that's not an option, plus we want to keep our current phone number. I see that Fido is now offering a $10/month wireless home phone plan (non-Fido customers pay $25/month), which sounds great but we also have a home alarm system that goes to ADT via our landline so I'd have to see if they can accommodate wireless.

Are there other good cheap landline alternatives to Bell in Québec? We have a separate VOIP phone for long-distance and international calling (that's my work phone, I work at home), so all we really need is local calling and voicemail.


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## crazyjackcsa (Aug 8, 2010)

I'd be interested to know too. I'm in a similar situation, except it's me, and not my wife that refuses to own a cellphone. To add an extra layer of difficulty, VOIP isn't a viable option where I am as the costs to upgrade the internet would likely offset any savings on the phone. I'm in Ontario.


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## brad (May 22, 2009)

I should add that VOIP isn't an option for our home phone either, because our internet isn't reliable enough (it cuts out 5-6 times per month; we have Bell Fibe), plus ideally we'd like something that will work in case of a power outage as we have those fairly frequently as well.


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## GoldStone (Mar 6, 2011)

If all else fails, call Bell customer retentions. Ask nicely for a loyalty discount. Cite how long you've been with Bell. Sometimes they offer $5 off, sometimes $10. Keep calling once a month until you catch the $10 promotion. Once they apply the discount, it's good for 12 months.


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## brad (May 22, 2009)

The problem is that even a $10/month discount would still result in a stupidly high bill compared with what I could get elsewhere. Our bill for August was $70, and all we made were a few local calls. The only add-on services we have are voicemail and call-waiting.


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## canabiz (Apr 4, 2009)

My mom has been with TekSavvy for over a year and it's been great. She's paying about $25 all in and this is POTS (traditional phone line) and not VoIP as she does not have Internet.

I know Rogers also offers home phone so you can call and see if they have any promo (typically requires a 2 or 3-year term) but it sure beats paying $70+/month for home phone. Home phone is not as important as it used to be now that everyone and their mom has a cell phone and people are increasingly using Skype, Google Voice etc for communications.


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## GoldStone (Mar 6, 2011)

$70??? Why? :eek2:

My Bell bill in Ottawa:

Home Phone Lite package: 28.98
Home Phone Promotion 12 mths: 10.00cr
911 fee: 0.16
Touch-Tone fee: 2.80

Total before taxes: 21.94


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## brad (May 22, 2009)

GoldStone said:


> My Bell bill in Ottawa:
> 
> Home Phone Lite package: 28.98
> Home Phone Promotion 12 mths: 10.00cr
> ...


Well, the $70 is after taxes; before taxes it's $61, which is still a lot.

I checked and we have the "Home Phone Choice" plan, which is $41.08/month. Obviously we could downgrade to Home Phone Lite, but I'll have to see if she's willing to lose the services (call waiting, 3-way calling, etc.). Our actual usage was just $5.00; the rest of it is various line charges, fee for an unlisted number, etc.

I'll check out TekSavvy and see if that's a better deal.


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## MoreMiles (Apr 20, 2011)

Let me tell you a story...

My family was trying call 411 or some number... We mis-dialed 911 and quickly realized our mistake. Before any dispatcher answering, after just 1 ring tone, we hung up. We did not think it was a big deal. The police showed up 10 minutes later wanting make sure everything is ok. They also wanted to look inside to make sure we were not held hostage to hang up the phone.

To me, a landline is worth the peace of mind. You cannot do that with a cell phone or voip. You still have 911 but it's not the same... you need to be fully functional to call for help. Landline 911 is still accessible if you cannot speak or stay on line.

Is that $20 / month saving more important than your family safety? You should decide.


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## brad (May 22, 2009)

Yes, that's one reason we want to keep the landline. I do think I can convince my girlfriend to switch to Home Phone Lite, although it'll still be close to $50/month after taxes when you add in the things we don't want to give up (mainly unlisted number, caller ID display). Teksavvy doesn't actually look much cheaper.


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## GoldStone (Mar 6, 2011)

brad said:


> I do think I can convince my girlfriend to switch to Home Phone Lite...


Please don't. I love your phone bill.

-- Thankful BCE shareholder :couple_inlove:


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## liquidfinance (Jan 28, 2011)

These guys could be an option

http://www.comwave.net/residential-home/

3 Year term is $9.95 a month with unlimited local calls. Sounds like all you need. You keep your exsiting number at no charge. Plan is $14.95 monthly if you wanted to be contract free. They have many other options available as well. 

http://www.comwave.net/residential-basic-plan/

I only have experience with the ephone service and have no complaints with that.

https://secure.comwave.net/ephonehub/hub/


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## crazyjackcsa (Aug 8, 2010)

That's VoiP. Not an option for me.


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## m3s (Apr 3, 2010)

A 3 year VoIP contract for $9.95/month?! There exists VoIP for $1.99/month and 1 cent/min with all the features you could possibly imagine (the only one I really use is the voice mail for people who haven't discovered email yet.. it sends a wav file to my email) The flat rate is $5.95/month unlimited with no 3 year contract but why bother when you can talk unlimited many ways online

brad, I'll let you in on a little secret that might work for you. CRTC mandates all Canadian telcos to provide dry land-line for security systems and 911 calls for about $10/month. They will surely deny it ever existed and the CSR probably doesn't know any better, but trust me it exists. I've had dry loop before and it was a hassle to get, but I've also had data-only sim cards that "didn't exist" (my father worked for NBTel most of his career and it all went down hill with Bell)

If you still want to make phone calls the old way, I would call retentions and threaten to cancel. They will offer you 50% or more off - $15/month according to this blog As for VoIP you don't even need Bell Fibe... (if Bell Fibe can't handle VoIP that is just sad) You might need a better router or else Bell Fibe just sucks


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## humble_pie (Jun 7, 2009)

m3s said:


> brad, I'll let you in on a little secret that might work for you. CRTC mandates all Canadian telcos to provide dry land-line for security systems and 911 calls for about $10/month. They will surely deny it ever existed and the CSR probably doesn't know any better, but trust me it exists. I've had dry loop before and it was a hassle to get, but I've also had data-only sim cards that "didn't exist"



... do u think you could do everybody a giant favour & post up guidelines for how to work through the hassle & obtain one of those $10/month dry loops?

when one asks bell, they quote a dry loop price that's same as a full phone subscription or even higher


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## uptoolate (Oct 9, 2011)

I just went through Primus at Costco to go to VOIP with my same old Bell number. The 10.00/month dry loop was part of the contract but they waved it.


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## m3s (Apr 3, 2010)

I think it would take the same kind of negotiating skills, knowledge and hassle as pioneering the gambit at a discount broker... One would have to research the specific forums for a short cut (I had direct lines past the CSRs..) or go in person to a Bell office and sweet talk their way into a corner office. It's in the CRTC regulations somewhere.. nobody should have to pay $50/month just for 9-1-1 service. I had it setup for myself and many other students in University, no setup fees either. Just like on a cell phone, no land line is ever blocked from 9-1-1. For the ADT I'm not sure unless it dials 9-1-1 but I know this is used for security systems as well. If it only takes a 10 minute call your reduce your bill to $15/month that just might be the path of least resistance..


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## humble_pie (Jun 7, 2009)

uptoolate said:


> I just went through Primus at Costco to go to VOIP with my same old Bell number. The 10.00/month dry loop was part of the contract but they waved it.



not quite sure i understand ... by waiiving it, do you mean the dry loop came free of charge?


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## humble_pie (Jun 7, 2009)

m3s said:


> (I had direct lines past the CSRs..)


sigh




> ... If it only takes a 10 minute call your reduce your bill to $15/month that just might be the path of least resistance..


probbly


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## bgc_fan (Apr 5, 2009)

m3s said:


> A 3 year VoIP contract for $9.95/month?! There exists VoIP for $1.99/month and 1 cent/min with all the features you could possibly imagine (the only one I really use is the voice mail for people who haven't discovered email yet.. it sends a wav file to my email) The flat rate is $5.95/month unlimited with no 3 year contract but why bother when you can talk unlimited many ways online
> 
> brad, I'll let you in on a little secret that might work for you. CRTC mandates all Canadian telcos to provide dry land-line for security systems and 911 calls for about $10/month. They will surely deny it ever existed and the CSR probably doesn't know any better, but trust me it exists. I've had dry loop before and it was a hassle to get, but I've also had data-only sim cards that "didn't exist" (my father worked for NBTel most of his career and it all went down hill with Bell)
> 
> If you still want to make phone calls the old way, I would call retentions and threaten to cancel. They will offer you 50% or more off - $15/month according to this blog As for VoIP you don't even need Bell Fibe... (if Bell Fibe can't handle VoIP that is just sad) You might need a better router or else Bell Fibe just sucks


Out of curiosity, which VoIP are you referring to, and do you have a reference to the CRTC mandate regarding dry loop?

I have 2 stories regarding Bell and CSR. The first was the realization that I did not really need a land line (I had kept it as an emergency, but spending $25+ for a 911 emergency during a power failure seemed excessive). I called and was offered an Internet package with phone that was cheaper than the Internet package alone, so I kept it for that year. Of course it went back up. 

The last time I dealt with Bell, I was moving and decided to go with Teksavvy for Internet only, so I dropped Bell completely. The Sunday before the service was to end, I got 3 calls within 4 hours from CSR. Being a little irritated I basically yelled during the third call and said that the only phone calls I ever got on the land line was Bell solicitation (which is true because they kept calling about TV service). I added that if they ever wanted me to consider Bell in the future, they'd stop calling.

As a fun story about Rogers CSR, my mom decide to consolidate all her services with Bell Fibe. Of course, when she called, Rogers did a horrible job offering a cable/internet package that was MORE expensive because she was on a grandfathered package and older Rogers modem, that needed to be upgraded and cost money. She pointed this out and reiterated that the Bell package would be cheaper. The CSR agreed and said to just go with Bell! Some time later, Rogers calls back and tried the customer retention spiel, but she was already signed with Bell, and told them what the previous CSR had said. The new one said that, oh, she should have asked for someone higher in the chain and that they'd offer a better deal. Of course it was all moot as she was pretty much committed to Bell already, I.e. There was nothing Rogers could really offer, since for her, the key was a real landline and not some VoIP solution that could be used in an emergency.


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## brad (May 22, 2009)

m3s said:


> As for VoIP you don't even need Bell Fibe... (if Bell Fibe can't handle VoIP that is just sad) You might need a better router or else Bell Fibe just sucks


Just to clarify, Bell Fibe handles VOIP just fine (as did my old DSL line with Bell): the problem isn't that it can't handle it, it's that our internet connection cuts out 5-6 times per month and I have to reboot my router to reconnect. Plus when the power goes out, so does the VOIP, and we've had a few blackouts here this summer in Montreal, some across the city and several others in our neighbourhood. I have a UPS that provides power for 45 minutes to an hour so I can keep working on stay on a phone call, so that helps during the power outages but not when the internet is down.


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## m3s (Apr 3, 2010)

bgc_fan said:


> Out of curiosity, which VoIP are you referring to, and do you have a reference to the CRTC mandate regarding dry loop?


voip.ms is very popular on the telco-centric forums

I can't find a CRTC reference easily and I'm not going to read through all the legalese. Basically, Canadian telcos are not legally permitted to block 9-1-1 calls thanks to CRTC regulation... Any charged cell phone with service or connected land line can call 9-1-1 regardless if they paid their bills. If you switch to a "dry loop" or "naked loop" it has to make 9-1-1 calls or else they are taking a huge liability risk. Commercial security systems for example use a dry loop, long before people starting using dry loops for DSL to avoid paying for voice.


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## uptoolate (Oct 9, 2011)

humble_pie said:


> not quite sure i understand ... by waiiving it, do you mean the dry loop came free of charge?


I'm definitely not an expert but I believe that the existing Bell line into the house is the 'dry loop'. This is basically a phone line with no power (with power would be called a 'wet loop' and would be usually? have a dial tone if you plugged a phone into it). The 'dry loop' is used for dedicated DSL lines or security systems. It is possible that a technician has to come in and do something to change from 'dry' to 'wet' but so far that's on a need to know basis and I apparently don't need to know. I'll keep you posted.


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## fraser (May 15, 2010)

We no longer have a land line at home. Our $35. cell phone package gives us 400 daytime minutes from/to anywhere in Canada and unlimited after 5PM and on weekends. We use a very low cost long distance calling card for calls to the US and Europe.


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## brad (May 22, 2009)

FYI, Bell Home Phone Lite may look like a good deal, but it comes without voicemail or caller ID. If you add those features to it, the monthly cost ends up over $50 including tax.

Teksavvy with the same two services ends up around $40/month including tax. 

For now I've switched to Home Phone Lite, which will save us $10 to $20 per month. My girlfriend doesn't want to give up the security of better 911 access, and since she pays the phone bill she gets to call the shots.


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## DesignerDee (Apr 10, 2013)

I dropped my land line, and got the 'dry loop' for my DSL - it all could be done from the switching station. BTW, I also had my home number moved to my cell, and it was not a problem. It had to be done in two stages (first was to cut the land line to connect the number to cell, second was to add a fictitious number for the dry loop), so I was without internet for 2 days - hardly an inconvenience considering the savings! I kept all my other Bell services, and am quite happy too!


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## Davage (Nov 14, 2012)

I expect that this discussion thread will get busy again in the next month. Bell Canada are implementing yet ANOTHER price increase on November 1st for home phone service AND their long distance plans for a double whammy, along with a price increase on internet and tv services. 

Their increases have struck a nerve with me, and I reacted. I am moving my home phone service over to Rogers... Yes - I realize that Rogers frequently has price increases too, but at least I am saving around $25 to $30 per month per line for the time being. It will take quite a number of price increases to reach the point that I am currently at with Bell for price.


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## mcoursd2006 (May 22, 2012)

That's what prompted me to cancel Bell altogether. I'd look at my invoice and see a couple of dollars of increase here and a few there. I'd call them up and ask them and they would tell me that it's an increase across the board, for everyone, like that's suppose to make me feel better because they were screwing everyone else too. This didn't just happen once either. Finally I got fed up.

For those who need to have cable and home phone, there is little choice; they need to go with Rogers or Bell. But if you're willing to forgo cable and the security of a hard landline, then you could just go with a smaller ISP such as Teksavvy and get yourself a voip phone. It's not for everyone, but we love it.


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