Help me call and surf for less

July 7, 2006 10:40 PM

And to think I grew up with a rotary phone and a typewriter… I'm moving in November, and I'm trying to figure out what my best options are for phone and internet service (I won't be getting cable unless it’s free or something). I'm asking these questions together because I understand bundling isn't just for the Amish anymore;-)

Pertinent details:

- At present I spend about $70/month for a landline with call answer and high-speed phone line unlimited internet connection. If I can't do better than that in price, I'll just stay with it.

- I spend a [cough] fair amount of time on the internet. So, I need unlimited time on the net, and it can't tie up the phone line.

- I don't spend much time on the phone. Ten hours a month phone time would probably be more than enough, but let's say I need fifteen hours to be on the safe side. Much of that is long distance (my sixty-seven-year-old parents aren't responding to my campaign to convert them to email), but I get it for 4 cents a minute, so no complaints there.

- I don't particularly care for the idea of a cell phone, but I'd get one if it would be significantly cheaper than a landline. In that case, I'd want a relatively no-frills phone, with call answer and maybe call display. My phone does not need to text message, take pictures, play movies or video games, double as a vibrator or do the cha cha.

- I'm in Toronto.

Suggestions? Advice?

posted by orange swan to Shopping (12 answers total)

"- I don't particularly care for the idea of a cell phone, but I'd get one if it would be significantly cheaper than a landline. In that case, I'd want a relatively no-frills phone, with call answer and maybe call display. My phone does not need to text message, take pictures, play movies or video games, double as a vibrator or do the cha cha. "

When I needed to get a new phone in December, I literally went to the store and picked out the cheapest one, and it can do everything but video. You'd probably have to get a phone secondhand and get service one way or another to get something simple.
posted by TheOnlyCoolTim at 10:57 PM on July 7, 2006

I'd set your price range based on the best internet package you think is reasonable, plus CA$20/month for Vonage's 500-minute package. That includes long distance to anywhere in Canada or the US.
posted by nathan_teske at 11:12 PM on July 7, 2006

It might be worth looking into VoIP, especially if you are making a lot of long distance phone calls. (Although you might need to have a mobile phone on standby in case of blackout.)
posted by cholly at 3:11 AM on July 8, 2006

It's always good to have a regular phone line available to you in case of electrical emergencies (/snow /rain /etc.). Corded, old-fashioned style (not cordless or mobile, which requires charging). I'd get the absolute rock-bottom local-calls-only landline option available to you and suplement it with paid long-distance cards, which are available in wide variety of blocks (anywhere from 100 minutes to 5000 minutes of anywhere long-distance for a fixed price).

Can't help you with your internet provider questions, since I'm in the States.
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 5:50 AM on July 8, 2006

I don't particularly care for the idea of a cell phone, but I'd get one if it would be significantly cheaper than a landline. In that case, I'd want a relatively no-frills phone, with call answer and maybe call display. My phone does not need to text message, take pictures, play movies or video games, double as a vibrator or do the cha cha.

Good luck finding one of these. I have one that doesn't take pictures or play movies or anything but primitive video games, but it's approaching three years old now (if memory serves). Having gone into a Rogers Wireless store with someone else who was upgrading a really old phone, I can tell you that the cheapest phone you can get takes pictures and can surf the web. Bell is probably the same, but possibly more competent.
posted by oaf at 6:30 AM on July 8, 2006

I third the VoIP option. We use cable internet and vonage. If you're concerned about the emergency or power outage thing get a prepaid cellphone that you keep around just in case.
posted by nadawi at 8:04 AM on July 8, 2006

All cell phones will dial 911 if they have a signal, even if there is no SIM card in them (if they're GSM) and even if they're not activated (CDMA). I used to keep an old Verizon CDMA phone in the car in case I was in the middle of no where and needed it.
posted by jeversol at 8:36 AM on July 8, 2006

If you want a dead simple cell phone that doesn't have a lot of extraneous features, go online and buy a used Ericsson T-39. Feature poor by modern standards, but it's tri-band gsm, has bluetooth, and runs for damn near ever on a single charge.
posted by nathan_teske at 9:49 AM on July 8, 2006 [1 favorite]

Last week, I picked up a really simple Samsung from Telus for about CA$150. It is a pay as you go (prepaid) handset. It is a nice and simple with no camera or media player. Calls aren't cheap, but they aren't expensive either. Recharges can be purchased automatically or online using your credit card. Comes with a moderate number of free minutes.

Skype is offering free calls to Canada and US numbers at the moment and their long distance charges are very reasonable. I am using Skype to keep in touch with my family in Australia. They may be a suitable alternative to a fixed line.

I'm unsure of Internet Service Providers as I've been living in hotels for the last three weeks. I am pleased with the number of 'free' wifi locations in downtown Toronto. I drink enough coffee to keep my internet usage free at the moment.
posted by dantodd at 10:23 AM on July 8, 2006

I asked a similar question recently, and received some answers that you might find useful, too.
posted by Dr. Wu at 9:56 PM on July 8, 2006

I have this setup for my phone:
I have the most basic Bell landline, which is about $20 a month. Long distance is through Yak, which gives the cheapest rates for the countries I want to phone. I don't have call answer through Bell anymore, but instead I have the cheapest prepaid cell phone, the number of which I give to people who might want to leave me voice mail messages (Virgin mobile has a good prepaid deal for people who don't use their cell phone a lot: $15 prepaid credit expires only after 4 months, cheapest phone is now on sale for $66 I think)

Total spendings on phone is about $25 a month, maybe $30 if I make a lot of long distance calls.

For internet I have a crappy deal, so I won't talk about that. I'm just too lazy to change stuff right now.
posted by easternblot at 10:23 PM on July 8, 2006

get the absolute rock-bottom local-calls-only landline option available to you and suplement it with paid long-distance cards

This is my method, and the place to go for the "cards" (although they're virtual, all that's needed is the PIN and access numbers, which are received via email) is phonecardonsale.com -- they're a phone card supermarket, where you can compare features easily to determine the best one to meet your needs. (The one I'm currently using, Telespeed, is 1¢/minute for US domestic calls. All the cards have toll-free access numbers but Telespeed has a myriad of local numbers -- using them is what brings the price down so low).

Note that (in the US, anyway) you aren't required to specify a long-distance provider when you set up your "local-calls-only landline" -- this reduces your monthly phone bill, but if you do this (at least in the US) you have to pay another fee, the "Federal Subscriber Line Charge" which in my case amounts to $4.38.
posted by Rash at 11:03 PM on July 8, 2006