Our article on historical pricing of broadband/fiber internet in the Philippines in the last 10 years drew a lot of comments/feedback.
One of the comments was about the bundling of a landline phone with a broadband subscription. This has been the practice of Globe and PLDT as they continue to provide this legacy service to customers. During the years of dial-up and DSL service, a landline phone was a pre-requisite for getting an internet subscription. This was due to the fact that the internet line had to go thru the landline cables so it made sense that these services are bundled.
Later on, we got leased lines, cable TV companies like Sky offer broadband services without the need for a telephone line (instead, they used their existing cable TV lines), and further down the road pure fiber networks built by the likes of Converge ICT completely circumvented the legacy networks where giants like PLDT and Globe still use.
In reality, any residential customer who wants to subscribe to a broadband/fiber internet does not need to get a landline phone bundled with it. The fiber plans that are being offered by PLDT/Globe come with a landline phone because it’s just how they’ve been doing it for decades. It’s no longer a technical requirement. The bundling benefits the internet service provider because it adds value to the service (regardless if we want it or not) and it offers an opportunity to charge a certain MSF that could be higher than competitors (or a perceived advantage if the offered pricing and speeds are the same).
We thought it’s already common knowledge that PLDT and Globe force customers to get a landline just to get a broadband subscription. We don’t want to highlight this unfair business practice as a positive advantage.
But the question still remains — in the age of broadband and 5G, do we still need the landline phone? From experience, the immediate answer is a no. In the last 6 years, I have never answered a landline call (despite them rinning on occasion). All voice communications happen via mobile or apps like Messenger and Viber. I personally don’t see the need for a landline phone.
Of course, this is just my personal opinion. What do you think — when was the last time you used the landline? Perhaps, ISPs should just un-bundle the landline and lower their monthly service fees for their broadband plans? That would be nice but not likely to happen since it will just hurt their bottom line.
Congressmen and senators should create a law requiring all banks, major businesses, and government offices to provide mobile phone hotlines, and then we move on to stop using this OUTDATED landline communication technology. I’ve been wondering for years why these big offices and businesses are not providing the very important mobile phone-accessible hotline services for their paying customers. Are they in cahoots with Pangilinan and Ayala in maintaining the existence and income of their outdated landline services?
Banks like BPI burn your cellphone bill when you call their hotline. Its always better if you have a landline as back up.
For me, I think it is an added cost to have a landline. As stated by the comments of others, there are instances when it is more effective, although it would be a matter of time before it may become extinct.
Perhaps if the service providers made it less costly – >500/month – and no call charges to a landline from any network, then it can still exist to serve the needs unreachable or non-responsive to Mobile calls.
We just had a bundled landline installed a couple of months ago and I find it very useful because:
1. Commercial establishments like restaurants, drugstore, hardware, etc. are now easier to reach. Although some of them also have a cellphone, they don’t answer calls or reply to texts but they answer landline calls.
2. Relatives who are hard to reach by cellphone because of poor signal are now reachable because landline always have “good signal”, they don’t get lost and they don’t go “low bat.”
Landlines are just an unnecessary expense nowadays. For those complaining about charges when calling a landline using a cellphone: there are unli promos you can use, or subscribe to. Certainly I cannot justify 600 or 1000 monthly landline subscription to call a bank’s customer service once or twice a month, if ever.
Also, you cannot subscribe to a landline plan only anymore. Prepaid plans were discontinued. To get one means bundling with a data plan you don’t need, because you already have a better plan than pldt’s or globe’s.
My parents cant use a cellphone or a smartphone so I need a landline to call them. Also, having a landline gives flexibility in calling govt agencies and banks as these offices dont offer any mobile contact or online messaging contacts but if there are online options it will not suffice my inquiry.
Having a landline nowadays depends on use cases and may be different for everyone. In my case, I need it.
I see bundling with landline as a good thing for areas where cellular reception is weak. It’s also used as a way for our village security to call us when we have visitors or deliveries. My only gripe is the landline should never be converted into a fiber connection but, instead, remain as a copper connection so when there’s a power outage, we’re still reachable.
For me, sa Business at Government Offices ay kailangan pa rin, baket? Hinde lahat may cellphone ay naka monthly plan, ang iba naka pre-paid na limited ang capability to stay longer in the line, especially sa government offices which in my experience takes longer time to wait if some official transaction consumes time to verify on certain documents, this is wherein comes the limited load you have, that leads to the interruption of your communication, while if you use the landline there is the chance it may happen , so there is an advantage !
I only use landlines if I need to call a landline number, especially for customer service. If I use the one bundled in my mobile plan, I’ll run out of minutes in just a few calls.
Forcing customers to get a landline just to get a broadband subscription is consider to be an outdated global SCAM that somehow still widely exist in the Philippines (PLDT and Globe).
Goodbye, grammar.
globe is already doing this. GFiber Flex Plan 799, Globe At Home Plan 1299 and Globe At Home Plan 1599 Go Big all have no bundled landline
if only people will always be ATTENTIVE to their mobile phones to answer calls, then i probably won’t need a landline at home.
but alas, they put mobile phones on silent, or the signal is bad, or whatever reason. at least the landline ring will surely get their attention.
For me, a landline is needed if you’re running a business, sometimes even businesses (those small ones) can get by without landlines. For residential, not anymore. Even old folks know how to use a mobile phone nowadays.
Heck, those telcos are just forcing their landline service by bundling it with their internet service because they know, only few people would want to get a landline for their homes.