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Find landline phone services in your area

Many internet service providers offer home phone services, often with a discount when bundled with an internet plan.

What companies offer landline phone services?

Check out some home phone service providers available in your area. Consider other factors like calling features, local and unlimited calling coverage and availability of standalone home phone plans.

Search internet and home phone providers for plans in your area

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Or call us today: (844) 451-2720

How much does a landline phone cost?

*Pricing per month plus taxes for length of contract. Additional fees and terms may apply. Pricing varies by location and availability. All prices subject to change at any time. May or may not be available based on service address. Speeds may vary. As of 08/21/23.

Why keep a landline home phone service?

While many use a cellphone as their sole means of communication, landline home phone service offers benefits like low cost and reliability that make having home phone service an appealing option for many. Keep in mind that if a landline phone doesn’t interest you, with many internet providers including Xfinity, Spectrum, Verizon, T-Mobile and Optimum, you can bundle your cellphone service with one of their internet plans.

Top 4 reasons to keep your landline phone

Whether you choose a digital phone line or a basic landline, some of the best reasons to keep your home phone service include:

  • Better voice quality and reception – Compared to their mobile counterparts, you can usually get a better signal reception with landline phone service since it’s a hardwired connection.
  • Faster and more accurate responses for 911 emergencies – Landline phone service is already connected to your address, including your specific apartment number. This means the 911 operator already knows exactly where to send help – even if you’re unable to speak. 
  • International calls – If you make several weekly international calls, a landline with unlimited international calling could save you money over a mobile plan, which runs on data. Some landline plans allow you to pick the country you call most for unlimited calling as well.

Did you know? Prior to the 911 emergency system, you’d have to call the operator to summon the correct emergency service. In some states, you’d dial “3-4-7-3,” which spells “FIRE,” to reach your local fire department. In other areas of the U.S., the fire department and police stations had their own 6- or 7-digit numbers just like everyone else.

  • Bundle deals and savings – Internet providers offer discounts on double or triple service bundles to include landline phone service that can be more cost-effective than standalone plans. Plus, it’s cheaper to share one home phone line than having multiple cell lines for each member of your household. Some ISPs will only provide home phone service to internet customers.
  • A smarter, connected home – Most modern home phones now have advanced features that integrate seamlessly with other devices in your home.

Can I have a landline without internet?

If you’re interested in cheap landline phone service without internet, it may be difficult to find exactly what you’re looking for. Many providers nowadays only offer traditional landline home phone service as an add-on option to internet and TV plans. Certain providers, however, offer standalone home phone plans in specific areas that don’t require the purchase of additional services. Check out a few that may be available in your area.

Cheapest landline services without internet

  • CenturyLink – Basic Home Phone starting at $30.00/mo.*
  • Cox – Voice Premier starting at $20.00/mo.*
  • Spectrum – Spectrum Voice Basic service starting at $14.99/mo.*
  • Verizon Fios – Digital Voice Unlimited Plan starting at $20.00/mo.*
  • Xfinity – Xfinity Voice Local starting at $30.00/mo.*

*Pricing per month plus taxes for length of contract. Additional fees and terms may apply. Pricing varies by location and availability. All prices subject to change at any time. Last updated 08/21/23.

Pros and cons of top home phone service providers

Considering more than one home phone service provider near you? Check out some pros and cons of a few available in your area.

AT&T phone

  • Unlimited calling in the U.S., Mexico, Canada and U.S. territories

  • 20+ integrated calling features

  • Digital phone service must be bundled with internet or TV. AT&T phone is not offered as a standalone service

Learn more about AT&T

CenturyLink phone

  • Basic local and unlimited long distance plans available

  • More than 10 calling features including Caller ID, 3-Way Calling, Call Forwarding and Voicemail

  • Basic Home Phone plan does not include long distance calling or any calling features

Learn more about CenturyLink

Frontier phone

  • Per minute and unlimited plans offered

  • More than 20 custom calling features

  • Unlimited U.S. and Canadian calling with select bundles

  • Standalone phone plans available in limited areas

Learn more about Frontier

Spectrum phone

  • Single-service phone plans available

  • 28 calling features, including: Call Forwarding, Block Anonymous Calls, Block Caller ID and more

  • Service is carried through phone lines, so you may experience weather-related service outages

Learn more about Spectrum

Verizon Fios phone

  • Calling features include: Caller ID, Enhanced Call Forwarding, Locate Me, Calendar Synchronization and more

  • Pair with Verizon Fios internet or TV for extra savings

  • Prices can be more expensive than other providers

  • No standalone phone plans are available. Phone service must be bundled with internet or TV service

Learn more about Verizon Fios

Xfinity phone

  • No contract required

  • Talk to places like Canada, China, India, Mexico, South Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore and Puerto Rico

  • Limited calling features

Learn more about Xfinity

Search internet and home phone providers for plans in your area

Check availability
Or call us today: (844) 451-2720

What are landline phone features?

Home phone calling features are great, but what do they all mean and what can you do with them? Check out some popular calling features that may be available with your phone plan and how to use them.

  • Caller ID – See the name and number of an incoming call before you answer the phone.
  • Call Waiting – Uses a special tone to notify you of an incoming call while you’re on another call. Also allows you to switch between the two calls, placing the other on hold.
  • Call Waiting ID – Identify the name and number of an incoming call while you are on another call.
  • Do Not Disturb – Control when you receive incoming calls and prevent unwanted interruptions.
  • Busy Redial or *66 – When you receive a busy signal, you can use this feature to automatically redial the number for up to 30 minutes and alert you when the line is free.
  • Three-way Calling – Have a three-way “conference call” by adding a third party to your conversation.
  • Speed Dialing – Instantly call friends, family and colleagues – even if you don’t remember their phone numbers.
  • Call Return or *69 – Identify and automatically redial the last incoming caller on your line.
  • Call Block – Block calls from specific phone numbers and callers.
  • Anonymous Call Rejection/Anonymous Call Block – Works with Caller ID feature to reject calls from those that have blocked their caller information.
  • Call Forwarding – Redirects your incoming calls to a local or long distance forwarding number so you never miss an important call.
  • VIP/Priority Ringing/Distinctive Ring – Designate a special ringtone to each of the numbers in your contacts so you always know who’s calling without picking up the phone.

Your calling features will vary based on your home phone service provider and which plan you select. Call today to see which providers, plans and features are available near you.

Digital vs. analog phone

All across the telephone network, home phone providers have moved to a digital dialing system. Gone are the days of the iconic rotary phone. However, you do have a number of different (and better) options than simple analog for keeping your home phone connected today.

  • A hardwired digital connection – As brought to you by long-time and well-known phone companies such as AT&T and Verizon – uses the traditional phone cord you’re already familiar with to transmit your voice all across the country. And with a newer phone, you can now take advantage of all the information and advanced features that wire is sending your way.
  • A VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) connection – As delivered by such companies as Xfinity, Cox, and Time Warner – uses a device called an ATA (Analog Telephone Adapter) to route your calls through your internet modem to your home phone. This allows your phone call data to come packed with all these other internet-enhanced properties – such as having Universal Caller ID displayed across all your TVs, smartphones, and other communication devices.
  • A satellite connection – As beamed to your home by satellite TV and satellite internet providers such as HughesNet – also uses the VoIP technology to bring all the benefits of a landline home phone to you, now just in more remote areas of the country.

In the end, getting the most value out of your cutting-edge home phone service is smarter and cheaper than ever before (which also makes it easier to finally call your granny). And with all the technological advances that both internet data and phone hardware improvements have brought about, you’ll be talking (and much, much more) on your home phone in no time at all.

FAQs

What is a landline?

A landline phone, or home phone, is a type of phone service that transmits audio data through a wire or fiber-optic cable. Popular landline providers include AT&T, CenturyLink, Cox, Frontier, Spectrum, Verizon and Xfinity. Landline phone services are commonly available as either a standalone service or part of an internet bundle.

Digital phone service uses cable or a digital phone network to make phone calls. Digital phone service often comes with advanced features like Caller ID, Call Waiting and Three-Way Calling depending on your home phone provider and plan selection.

Landline service will not be disrupted as long as you have a cable, satellite, DSL, fiber or wireless internet connection. Dial-up internet service, however, uses your phone line to transmit data. If you have dial-up, using your internet will prohibit you from using your landline phone service and vice versa.

Home phone service is relatively inexpensive in general, but the following service providers are known for their affordable home phone service:

CenturyLink

Cox

Spectrum

Verizon Fios

Xfinity

Whether or not you can make long distance and international calls depends on your home phone service provider and your plan. Many providers, like Spectrum, offer unlimited local and limited long distance calling with home phone service. International calls are usually available for an additional monthly fee.

As the numeric telephone system grew, the initial 4-digit number sequence ran out of unique combinations. In the late 1920s, alphanumeric codes were assigned to the beginning of numbers to help identify geographic locations.

For instance, a phone number may be given as MElrose 4-2829. The first two letters of the exchange center name were capitalized to show which letters to translate to numbers. That meant someone would end up dialing 62, the numbers to match ME, before the personal line number 4-2829.

Some types of internet, such as DSL and dial-up, require a phone line for service. Depending on the DSL provider, you may not have to pay for home phone service to get internet. This is because DSL internet uses different frequency bands than your home phone. Dial-up internet, however, does require an active home phone service to connect to the internet.

Lisa Iscrupe

Written by:

Lisa Iscrupe

Writer, Broadband & Data Content

Lisa uses years of experience in sales and customer service for internet-TV providers to inform her writing on broadband. Her work has been referenced by CNN and other national sources. In Lisa’s Words: Ever… Read more

Robin Layton

Edited by:

Robin Layton

Editor, Broadband Content

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