Sprint rolls out new femtocell on clarkhoward.com

Sprint may not be beloved for its customer service, but Clark thinks they've done a good job of embracing cutting-edge technology in the mobile world. He's now able to get live TV on his Sprint cell phone -- much to the joy of his 9-year-old daughter who loves to watch Hannah Montana!

The only drawback is that Clark finds he's constantly in need of his charger because the TV function drains his battery.

Last year, Clark revealed how Sprint was experimenting with "femtocells" in select cities. Femtocells are essentially tiny cell towers you can put in your home to improve reception.

They should not be confused with "fembots" from Austin Powers!

Sprint now is readying a national rollout of a new femtocell product called Airave for around $100. Think of it as a home-based cell tower that -- for a connectivity fee of $4.99/month -- will use your broadband connection to deliver a reliable, crystal-clear connection. This should help Sprint customers who have spotty reception at their homes.

And it's just the next step in the evolution of the cell phone destroying the need for an antiquated landline!

If you are still paying for a landline, Clark wants to revisit his discussion of the tariff rate -- aka "Plain Old Telephone Service" (POTS) line.

In order to make sure you're paying as little as possible, call up your monopoly phone company and ask for the "state-regulated tariff rate" or the "POTS line." If the rep feigns ignorance, ask to speak to a supervisor and make your request.

With the tariff rate, you get a basic dial-tone with no frills or extra features. It should cost between $7-$18/month. You'll still pay $10-$13/month in junk fees.

For example, Clark pays $29/month for a landline in his home that his wife wants. He even skips eating a couple of days a month to make up for the expenditure!

What others are saying

Cell Phone Tech
For expanded cell phone use with your land line and current land line phones etc go to this link. http://www.cellantenna.com/Dockingstations/dockntalk.htm We use these products in the water wastewater industry and they have home use as well as office products.
By Dean Huggins @ 10/18/09 12:04:37 PMreport abuse
tariff rates for biz phones???
I have a very small massage biz which I use AT&T phone company at $50 per month. I really don't use the phone hardly at all. It is necessary to have a presence in the yellow page directory. Would the tariff rate apply to a biz phone as well as residential????
By Mona Brooks @ 08/09/09 02:20:44 PMreport abuse
POTS line
Right on Clark!! I signed up for POTS with caller ID & caller waiting for $26.00 total a month for 2 years reduced from $48.00 a month. Thanks!!!!
By Ronnie @ 04/08/09 05:06:08 PMreport abuse
magic jack
Clark, I just got a magic jack and I'm ecstatic. My husband is in Morocco. If I call HIM, I pay .22 a min. But if I send my magic jack to him to call ME, there's no pay per minute. If we both use magic jacks - I can then call him for free. Extremely simple to set up, crystal clear and CHEAP
By michelle @ 03/17/09 04:48:10 AMreport abuse
information like tel
Clark THANK YOU for your show, for your cost saving information.
IF I miss your show, how can I see what you presented that week?
How many shows do you have?
By sandi @ 03/03/09 12:25:02 PMreport abuse
Security Systems/Phone Lines
I don't have time to read all of the comments here, and somebody may have already cleared this up, but I see there is a lot of questions regarding phone lines and security systems. I am a sales agent for the largest security company in the country and I am looking into Tariff rates to help my customers save money.
1) it's true, you can get a cellular transmitter (not a phone) to send your security systems signals via cell towers to monitoring centers. you do NOT have to have a land line. The question is which is more economical. A land line usually runs $20 -$30 per month. The cell back up (in this senario would really be a cellular "primary") usually costs $100 - $200 for the unit itself (which resides in your security panel, or by it) and usually runs around $10 per month.
Most VOIP's won't work because the signal is not reliable. Not when it comes to your security. Vondage is out. Some are starting to be used but it may take a while for Voip to be fully trusworthy. Comcast and Clearwire have been used successfully, but then you're paying $30 per month anyway. So far, the cellular transmitter is my best suggestion even though you usually have the initial expence, The $10 or $11 per month is favorable over comperable phone line prices, because the cellular transmitter lines cannot be cut by burglars attempting to get into your home. So, I'd say get the cellular transmitter. Until phone lines are under $10 per month, fees and junk, and tax included, the cellular transmitter is my best suggestion.
By Mike Jones @ 02/25/09 01:13:18 PMreport abuse
GA is 'spensive
I pushed and pushed and pushed to get someone in customer service to say the word "Georgia state tariff rate" instead of just "Basic Service"... Sadly, the Georgia state tariff rate is $17.55; that's a whole bunch of $$$ for something I only need to keep my alarm system working. If anyone in the greater Atlanta has anything different, please post it.

Also, if someone from the phone company tells you that you're required to have long distance service, they're lying.
By matt @ 11/04/08 05:06:56 PMreport abuse
Tarif Rate
Where can I get the exact cost for GA's tarif rate for At&T (Former Bell South).
Thanks
By Judy @ 09/23/08 11:29:22 AMreport abuse
Lower your Phone bills
I have to have a land line , but no way am i having AT+T long distance. I nwent to lowermybills.com and found a long distance service as cheap as Skype. Good site - no fees lots of options
By Jon Denzin @ 09/02/08 02:07:42 PMreport abuse
Abysmal Service
I have had a landline with AT&T and I can't begin to express my dissappointment. My father passed away this past Tuesday and due to my phone being out of order I had a multitude of messages from my mother and brother urging me to call home. It was a miracle that Wednesday night that finally my mother reached me. When I finally did give AT&T a piece of my mind they tried to sell me on more of their services. That was the height of impropriety in my book.
By Drew @ 08/30/08 03:48:43 PMreport abuse
broyhill sofa broken from the start
The springs have have collaspt on my mom's "b.h" sofa that she has had only months.She is only 95 lbs and 5'5" tall."hudson by broyhill" has been to her house 2 times .Once to replace the seat cushions .When that did'nt work I tried to contact broyhill in N.C.with luck .Can you help a 83 yr old great-great grandmother get her favorite thing in her house fixed or replaced ?
By c.atha @ 08/29/08 02:41:39 PMreport abuse
ATT
If you want to add caller ID. It is $10 extra with the tariff rate. How do i get around it. My wife wants their land line
By Dan Greenberg @ 08/28/08 08:59:35 AMreport abuse
POTS LINE
Clark, I think you can lower your $29/month phone bill to less than $2/month. Simple..just use magic jack for your home phone. I'm also getting another one for my Mom outside the country so she can call me for free anytime.
By JAMES @ 08/26/08 10:05:20 PMreport abuse
where do i get cheap basic dsl internet with out phone line for home
By fiza @ 08/26/08 04:34:40 PMreport abuse
cheap monthly rates for land lines
where do i go to find a cheap and reliable service for my house phone. i don't use the phone for long distance calls. and our computer and tv are connected to satalite. any suggestions?? thanks.....jocbell@t6b.com
By colleen @ 08/26/08 03:59:30 PMreport abuse
Sprint Customer Service & Landline Merge
Two items: 1) Sprint's new CEO has overhauled the organizations customer service. For real. From about March 2008 forward, customer service experiences I've heard have all been significantly better than before. Might wanna try them again if this is your reason for rejecting them. 2) There are devices that allow you to dock your cell phone and use the phones in your house. One I found after brief Googling sells for $94 and works with many Motorola phones. I know others are out there--my brother has used one of these for a couple of years with no complaints. URL for the one I found: http://www.cell-phone-accessories.com/cidco-merge-home-phone-with-cellular-phone.html
By Joe @ 08/26/08 12:58:13 PMreport abuse
POTS Line
Clark, Thank you so much for the information on the POTS Line! I called my land line provider and after several "I don't know's" and "please hold's" I was able to get every add on removed from my land line. Including all junk fees my land line is now costing $25 per month plus tax. So, the monthly bill should be about the same a Clarks $29 or so.
By Andy Dobbs @ 08/26/08 12:52:41 PMreport abuse
Google Street View
Don't rely too heavily on this. With every address I have ever checked Google's little marker is several houses off. Great for finding the general area but lousy if you want to see a specific house. I just tried our current and an old address plus the addresses of some friends and relatives for the street view and all came up with houses about a half block away.
By Nickie @ 08/26/08 08:47:02 AMreport abuse
Land and cell service
We have vonage now $30 plus a month after taxes & fees we have cells with T-Mobile.Now Tmobible offers Voip with the same Features as Vonage for $10 a month plus fees and taxes. But downside must sign contract and buy modem for $50
By David Fige @ 08/26/08 08:40:37 AMreport abuse
Sprint
Every time either my wife or myself have tried to use Sprint, It's been a disaster. Poor reception, poor billing and unacceptable service.
By David A. Smith @ 08/26/08 05:16:50 AMreport abuse
Land Lines
we keep our land line for our home security system. You said that it would work with a cell phone. What if the cell phone is not on the premises (i.e. on vacation in another state with you)?
By Sue Wilson @ 08/25/08 11:24:21 PMreport abuse
WAKE UP, CLARK, CEL PHONES FOR HOMES IS/ARE CRAZY
You tell us to dump landlines and rely only on cel phones for in-home use. How am I going to replace 7 phones around my palatial 3 bedroom home with one lonely cel phone. Do I get an industrial size ringer when I'm at the other end or in the basement?
By tony martinez @ 08/25/08 10:47:10 PMreport abuse
Re: Cell phone linked to home network
Windstream sells two phone models that work with both your landline and your bluetooth enabled cell phone. The V Tech Bluetooth Cordless and the GE Cell Fusion 6.0 Dect. You can see them on the website http://www.windstream.com/residential/equipment.aspx
By Daniel @ 08/25/08 09:18:19 PMreport abuse
Term Life / A M Best rating
I'll admit it was some years ago , but AM Best was involved in a scandal where they gave the best ratings to co's. that did yhe most advertising in their publications...don't know id I'd rely too heavily on their rating...do your homework / there should be another way to get info on ins. providers
By wsampler @ 08/25/08 09:07:25 PMreport abuse
Landlines Needed for multiple people on calls
We still keep 2 landlines (1 business, 1 private unlisted -- needed for our vocations) AND have no plans to dump them even though we also use 3 cell phones. ONE BIG reason we like landlines is the ability to have multiple "recievers" for phone calls -- often more then one party on a call at a time. Granted we have used speaker phone function on the cells, but not nearly as convenient, especially if you don't want
"everybody" else hearing the conversations! Soooo for us landlines will be the norm for years to come; AND yes, we are getting the Ohio Tariff rate.
By Bruce @ 08/25/08 07:48:36 PMreport abuse
Landline for Security System
Cia @ 08/25/08 03:28:33 PM wrote:The only reason I have a land-line is to monitor my security system. Is there a way around this?

Yes Cia, there is. Get a digital cell backup. If someone activates your alarm system the cell phones the security service. Also the cell backup has a backup battery that should be good for a day or so.
By diogenes @ 08/25/08 06:57:04 PMreport abuse
Cell phone linked to home network
What I'd like to see is a cell phone that can be placed in a cradle, and link up to my home phone system. So when I am home, I put the cell phone in its cradle, someone calls, I can answer any phone in the house to get it. The wife doesn't like carrying the cell around at home since it lives in her purse. This is the only obstacle to getting rid of the home phone service in our household.
It also would be nice if the cradle charged the phone!
Thanks Clark!
By Omaha Joe @ 08/25/08 05:26:30 PMreport abuse
PHONE LINES
Clark
you should tell phone lines companies name and the price they are charging, because once you said at&t giving internet service for 9.99/month. i could not find any where i went on at&t web site because i have at&t so they wont give me the price. and without putting phone # they wont go anywhere.
thanks my e mail is om1955@yahoo.com
By OM ARORA @ 08/25/08 04:30:48 PMreport abuse
VoIP phone service
I have had good luck with my Xtreme voip service. The company lets you call 18 countries for $24.99 a month. Although I never called anyone outside the USA. I found that you could pay for the year and save $$. I had vonage at one time but I enjoy Xtreme voip's features much better. Here is the web site I use: www.voipcallsRus.com
By Ken @ 08/25/08 03:48:35 PMreport abuse
Tariff phone calls???
I e-mailed my phone company (verizon) and also called them. they say they have no such thing??? i pay 27.40 a month,and they say that is as cheap as they charge???
By Barbara McEvoy @ 08/25/08 03:37:49 PMreport abuse
SPRINT CELL TOWERS
Hi Clarke,
You may want to think twice before putting a cell tower in your home. The verdict is still out about the danger of the multitude of radiation and electromagnetic systems that we are exposed to, especially cell phones. It is definitely not recommended that young people and children be exposed to these waves and rays. I'm afraid that the future will prove that all these gadgets have severely compromised our health.
By Cynthia @ 08/25/08 03:35:35 PMreport abuse
Landline for Security System
The only reason I have a land-line is to monitor my security system. Is there a way around this?
By Cia @ 08/25/08 03:28:33 PMreport abuse
Low Home Telephone Price
I have had Packet 8 for about 7 years. It is a VOIP phone that is my only home phone. It has been reliable service, that works like Vonage, but for way less $$ than Vonage. I pay $199.00 per year (plus tax of about $3.00 per month). Thats less than $17.00+the tax per month. Check it out at www.packet8.net
By Elsa McCord @ 08/25/08 01:49:42 PMreport abuse
phone
We still have a land line because we want internet service. (DSL) we do not have or want cable. Is there a cheaper alternative? jean
By jean cribb@excite.com @ 08/25/08 01:12:42 PMreport abuse
Term Life Insurance
Is there a formula or rule of thumb that I should use to determine how much in dollar amount I should purchase. Also what AM bEST RATE SHOULD i LOOK For in picking a comnpany.
By Erick Strong @ 08/25/08 01:04:16 PMreport abuse
SUPERVISOR?
I RECENTLY CALLED VERIZON TO DISCUSS MY INVOICE, COULD NOT GET ANYWHERE WITH THE REP, I ASKED TO SPEAK TO HER SUPERVISOR AND THE REP TOLD ME IN NO UNCERTAIN TERMS THAT I WOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO SPEAK WITH HER SUPERVISOR.
By DON @ 08/25/08 01:02:19 PMreport abuse
state-regulated tariff rate
I looked on my Windstream phone bill and did not see any such charge listed. Would it be called by another name? or am I just getting a really great deal from my phone company. I have a residential line charge of $21.44 and a fcc access charge of $6.50. THe rest looks like taxes.
By Becky Braswell @ 08/25/08 12:02:01 PMreport abuse
Tariff rate plus OneSuite
I have used OneSuite service for four years and found nothing that equals it's service. I can make calls for 2 1/2 cents per minute from any phone in the country and do not neet hi speed internet or a computer. Why would anyone pay vonage $35.00 a month when you could buy 23 hours 33 minutes of talk time from OneSuite. I changed my landline to the $11.00 a month rate, down from $31.00, and by using the OneSuite 2 1/2 cents per minute, get off really cheap. Couldn't use MagicJack as they are not in my locality and all calls to me would have been long distance for the caller, even my next door neighbor.
By David Boccabello @ 08/25/08 12:01:43 PMreport abuse
Home-based "cell tower"
In hilly Marietta, GA, we have had T-mobile @ Home for about a year. Had to purchase $50 router and $100 cellphone (we got rebates - total upfront cost $20 per person. (2 phones, 2 routers - put 2nd router in my office and told S.Bell business line to take a hike) Now we have great cell phone service at our house via WiFi/VOIP which is in a valley that cell tower can't reach. The phone also jumps on any and all WiFi hotspots worldwide. My wife pays $10 month extra on her cell plan so that WiFi calls don't count against her plan minutes. She works for an international airline and calls me from all over the world - FREE!(so far unable in Japan and Paris) Now T-Mobile says that a different $50 purchase router is available that allows me to plug in my entire house phone system to my broadband service, keeping the same telephone number, for $10 per month (2-year commitment) with free local/long distance, caller ID, voice mail with remote access, etc. The service works on all hard-wired extension phones in the house - not just one handset. Based on good reliability experience with T-Mobile, we are going to try it. Downside - everything at the mercy of the broadband provider - when the broadband goes down we loose internet and telephone and cell phone unless we go out on the back deck - and in our case television (Comcast). We have Comcast digital phone now for $19.95 mo plus $3/mo. modem rental (ripoff). My one-person rented office offers free DSL - so I plugged the second router into the DSL outlet and now have a great cell phone service and wireless internet connection. T-Mobile has weak marketing - they should be all over these services, signing customers up by the thousands - insttead they had one blitz for each service and then backed off - go figure. Maybe their network just can't handle the volume that a successful marketing campaign might produce.
By Rick Buckalew @ 08/25/08 11:54:19 AMreport abuse
Land-line phones and work from home
According to the ABC News website, which is loaded with good Work from home info, some companies require a land-line as well as an old-style phone. No cordless allowed. I'm considering switching back from Vonage.
By Linda @ 08/25/08 11:41:43 AMreport abuse
SAFA
Where do I find out about SAFA? And how much are outgoing calls?
By patricia @ 08/25/08 11:14:49 AMreport abuse
SAFA Line
I just found out you can have a DSL line only and not a phone line. It is called SAFA. I am getting ready to change to that.
By Shelly Bloom @ 08/25/08 11:03:08 AMreport abuse
phone bills
I have Vonage which I love but it's $35 a month. I was just turned on to Magic Jack which is $39 for the device and $19.95 a year for service. I paid around $220 for 2 devices and 5 years of service and it's less than half my Vonage bill!
By Tracey @ 08/25/08 11:00:12 AMreport abuse
land lines
what do you do about faxs if you do away with your land line? I would like to use that verizon thing for my computer too instead of paying such high dsl fees.
By patsy burberry @ 08/25/08 10:47:31 AMreport abuse
state tarrif rate for landline
I just called Embarq and changed our landline to the basic "no frill" line! The state rate for us -OH- is 16.05... bottom line... saved $25 per month over the previous billing rate! thanks!
By Carol O @ 08/20/08 01:01:27 PMreport abuse
State Tariff Rates
How can I find out what is the tariff rate for basic phone service for each state?
By Carter @ 08/18/08 08:44:02 PMreport abuse
boosting cell phone reception
I want to improve my cell phone reception so I can dump my landline. But I'm rural and only have dial-up internet. Any technology you know of? I could go satellite for internet service. Thanks.
By Ray @ 08/18/08 03:35:26 PMreport abuse
femtocell
I would like more information about this. would it work with a tracfone?
By Lila @ 08/18/08 12:51:04 PMreport abuse
Tariff Rates
I asked for the tariff rate from AT&T they told me I could make 60 calls per month and my rate would be reduced by $5.00 put I would have to pay $14.00 to have my service changed over.
By Carolyn Smith @ 08/18/08 11:29:48 AMreport abuse
Femptocells
This is just another way to move voice traffic off Sprint's infrastructure that they pay for, onto your internet connection that you pay for. And they have the nerve to charge you for it? Even though I am for Net Neutrality, this is a prime reason why the yoyos at the Comcast and Time warner are against it.
By Marty @ 08/18/08 10:54:10 AMreport abuse
monopoly phone company and ask for the "state-regulated tariff rate.
where can i find out about?
(With the tariff rate, you get a basic dial-tone with no frills or extra features. It should cost between $7-$18/month. You'll still pay $10-$13/month in junk fees)
By Rinard @ 08/18/08 10:24:39 AMreport abuse
$15 month line
I believe that is called the "granny line" and is mandated by the FCC so that people can afford a basic line as long as they don't use it. The problem with that line is that although you have can take unlimited incoming calls, you have to pay for outgoing phone calls. That might work for a fax line but not for most people.
By Ben @ 08/17/08 06:40:32 PMreport abuse
Too much
Apparently Clark is paying too much. I have a basic dial tone line. All incoming calls are free, but I have to pay for each outgoing call - $15 per month.
By jimmy @ 08/16/08 08:38:19 PMreport abuse
Cell phone TV Service
Hmmm... seems like the next step would be to just deliver tv to your home via cell service. TVs would have to add the technology, but that could provide a real challenge to the cable companies, and provide another alternative to the dish...
By Jason @ 08/15/08 03:51:54 PMreport abuse

Cell Phone Tech

For expanded cell phone use with your land line and current land line phones etc go to this link. http://www.cellantenna.com/Dockingstations/dockntalk.htm We use these products in the water wastewater industry and they have home use as well as office products.

By Dean Huggins @ 10/18/09 12:04:37 PMreport abuse

tariff rates for biz phones???

I have a very small massage biz which I use AT&T phone company at $50 per month. I really don't use the phone hardly at all. It is necessary to have a presence in the yellow page directory. Would the tariff rate apply to a biz phone as well as residential????

By Mona Brooks @ 08/09/09 02:20:44 PMreport abuse

POTS line

Right on Clark!! I signed up for POTS with caller ID & caller waiting for $26.00 total a month for 2 years reduced from $48.00 a month. Thanks!!!!

By Ronnie @ 04/08/09 05:06:08 PMreport abuse

magic jack

Clark, I just got a magic jack and I'm ecstatic. My husband is in Morocco. If I call HIM, I pay .22 a min. But if I send my magic jack to him to call ME, there's no pay per minute. If we both use magic jacks - I can then call him for free. Extremely simple to set up, crystal clear and CHEAP

By michelle @ 03/17/09 04:48:10 AMreport abuse

information like tel

Clark THANK YOU for your show, for your cost saving information.
IF I miss your show, how can I see what you presented that week?
How many shows do you have?

By sandi @ 03/03/09 12:25:02 PMreport abuse

Security Systems/Phone Lines

I don't have time to read all of the comments here, and somebody may have already cleared this up, but I see there is a lot of questions regarding phone lines and security systems. I am a sales agent for the largest security company in the country and I am looking into Tariff rates to help my customers save money.
1) it's true, you can get a cellular transmitter (not a phone) to send your security systems signals via cell towers to monitoring centers. you do NOT have to have a land line. The question is which is more economical. A land line usually runs $20 -$30 per month. The cell back up (in this senario would really be a cellular "primary") usually costs $100 - $200 for the unit itself (which resides in your security panel, or by it) and usually runs around $10 per month.
Most VOIP's won't work because the signal is not reliable. Not when it comes to your security. Vondage is out. Some are starting to be used but it may take a while for Voip to be fully trusworthy. Comcast and Clearwire have been used successfully, but then you're paying $30 per month anyway. So far, the cellular transmitter is my best suggestion even though you usually have the initial expence, The $10 or $11 per month is favorable over comperable phone line prices, because the cellular transmitter lines cannot be cut by burglars attempting to get into your home. So, I'd say get the cellular transmitter. Until phone lines are under $10 per month, fees and junk, and tax included, the cellular transmitter is my best suggestion.

By Mike Jones @ 02/25/09 01:13:18 PMreport abuse

GA is 'spensive

I pushed and pushed and pushed to get someone in customer service to say the word "Georgia state tariff rate" instead of just "Basic Service"... Sadly, the Georgia state tariff rate is $17.55; that's a whole bunch of $$$ for something I only need to keep my alarm system working. If anyone in the greater Atlanta has anything different, please post it.

Also, if someone from the phone company tells you that you're required to have long distance service, they're lying.

By matt @ 11/04/08 05:06:56 PMreport abuse

Tarif Rate

Where can I get the exact cost for GA's tarif rate for At&T (Former Bell South).
Thanks

By Judy @ 09/23/08 11:29:22 AMreport abuse

Lower your Phone bills

I have to have a land line , but no way am i having AT+T long distance. I nwent to lowermybills.com and found a long distance service as cheap as Skype. Good site - no fees lots of options

By Jon Denzin @ 09/02/08 02:07:42 PMreport abuse

Abysmal Service

I have had a landline with AT&T and I can't begin to express my dissappointment. My father passed away this past Tuesday and due to my phone being out of order I had a multitude of messages from my mother and brother urging me to call home. It was a miracle that Wednesday night that finally my mother reached me. When I finally did give AT&T a piece of my mind they tried to sell me on more of their services. That was the height of impropriety in my book.

By Drew @ 08/30/08 03:48:43 PMreport abuse

broyhill sofa broken from the start

The springs have have collaspt on my mom's "b.h" sofa that she has had only months.She is only 95 lbs and 5'5" tall."hudson by broyhill" has been to her house 2 times .Once to replace the seat cushions .When that did'nt work I tried to contact broyhill in N.C.with luck .Can you help a 83 yr old great-great grandmother get her favorite thing in her house fixed or replaced ?

By c.atha @ 08/29/08 02:41:39 PMreport abuse

ATT

If you want to add caller ID. It is $10 extra with the tariff rate. How do i get around it. My wife wants their land line

By Dan Greenberg @ 08/28/08 08:59:35 AMreport abuse

POTS LINE

Clark, I think you can lower your $29/month phone bill to less than $2/month. Simple..just use magic jack for your home phone. I'm also getting another one for my Mom outside the country so she can call me for free anytime.

By JAMES @ 08/26/08 10:05:20 PMreport abuse

where do i get cheap basic dsl internet with out phone line for home

By fiza @ 08/26/08 04:34:40 PMreport abuse

cheap monthly rates for land lines

where do i go to find a cheap and reliable service for my house phone. i don't use the phone for long distance calls. and our computer and tv are connected to satalite. any suggestions?? thanks.....jocbell@t6b.com

By colleen @ 08/26/08 03:59:30 PMreport abuse

Sprint Customer Service & Landline Merge

Two items: 1) Sprint's new CEO has overhauled the organizations customer service. For real. From about March 2008 forward, customer service experiences I've heard have all been significantly better than before. Might wanna try them again if this is your reason for rejecting them. 2) There are devices that allow you to dock your cell phone and use the phones in your house. One I found after brief Googling sells for $94 and works with many Motorola phones. I know others are out there--my brother has used one of these for a couple of years with no complaints. URL for the one I found: http://www.cell-phone-accessories.com/cidco-merge-home-phone-with-cellular-phone.html

By Joe @ 08/26/08 12:58:13 PMreport abuse

POTS Line

Clark, Thank you so much for the information on the POTS Line! I called my land line provider and after several "I don't know's" and "please hold's" I was able to get every add on removed from my land line. Including all junk fees my land line is now costing $25 per month plus tax. So, the monthly bill should be about the same a Clarks $29 or so.

By Andy Dobbs @ 08/26/08 12:52:41 PMreport abuse

Google Street View

Don't rely too heavily on this. With every address I have ever checked Google's little marker is several houses off. Great for finding the general area but lousy if you want to see a specific house. I just tried our current and an old address plus the addresses of some friends and relatives for the street view and all came up with houses about a half block away.

By Nickie @ 08/26/08 08:47:02 AMreport abuse

Land and cell service

We have vonage now $30 plus a month after taxes & fees we have cells with T-Mobile.Now Tmobible offers Voip with the same Features as Vonage for $10 a month plus fees and taxes. But downside must sign contract and buy modem for $50

By David Fige @ 08/26/08 08:40:37 AMreport abuse

Sprint

Every time either my wife or myself have tried to use Sprint, It's been a disaster. Poor reception, poor billing and unacceptable service.

By David A. Smith @ 08/26/08 05:16:50 AMreport abuse

Land Lines

we keep our land line for our home security system. You said that it would work with a cell phone. What if the cell phone is not on the premises (i.e. on vacation in another state with you)?

By Sue Wilson @ 08/25/08 11:24:21 PMreport abuse

WAKE UP, CLARK, CEL PHONES FOR HOMES IS/ARE CRAZY

You tell us to dump landlines and rely only on cel phones for in-home use. How am I going to replace 7 phones around my palatial 3 bedroom home with one lonely cel phone. Do I get an industrial size ringer when I'm at the other end or in the basement?

By tony martinez @ 08/25/08 10:47:10 PMreport abuse

Re: Cell phone linked to home network

Windstream sells two phone models that work with both your landline and your bluetooth enabled cell phone. The V Tech Bluetooth Cordless and the GE Cell Fusion 6.0 Dect. You can see them on the website http://www.windstream.com/residential/equipment.aspx

By Daniel @ 08/25/08 09:18:19 PMreport abuse

Term Life / A M Best rating

I'll admit it was some years ago , but AM Best was involved in a scandal where they gave the best ratings to co's. that did yhe most advertising in their publications...don't know id I'd rely too heavily on their rating...do your homework / there should be another way to get info on ins. providers

By wsampler @ 08/25/08 09:07:25 PMreport abuse

Landlines Needed for multiple people on calls

We still keep 2 landlines (1 business, 1 private unlisted -- needed for our vocations) AND have no plans to dump them even though we also use 3 cell phones. ONE BIG reason we like landlines is the ability to have multiple "recievers" for phone calls -- often more then one party on a call at a time. Granted we have used speaker phone function on the cells, but not nearly as convenient, especially if you don't want
"everybody" else hearing the conversations! Soooo for us landlines will be the norm for years to come; AND yes, we are getting the Ohio Tariff rate.

By Bruce @ 08/25/08 07:48:36 PMreport abuse

Landline for Security System

Cia @ 08/25/08 03:28:33 PM wrote:The only reason I have a land-line is to monitor my security system. Is there a way around this?

Yes Cia, there is. Get a digital cell backup. If someone activates your alarm system the cell phones the security service. Also the cell backup has a backup battery that should be good for a day or so.

By diogenes @ 08/25/08 06:57:04 PMreport abuse

Cell phone linked to home network

What I'd like to see is a cell phone that can be placed in a cradle, and link up to my home phone system. So when I am home, I put the cell phone in its cradle, someone calls, I can answer any phone in the house to get it. The wife doesn't like carrying the cell around at home since it lives in her purse. This is the only obstacle to getting rid of the home phone service in our household.
It also would be nice if the cradle charged the phone!
Thanks Clark!

By Omaha Joe @ 08/25/08 05:26:30 PMreport abuse

PHONE LINES

Clark
you should tell phone lines companies name and the price they are charging, because once you said at&t giving internet service for 9.99/month. i could not find any where i went on at&t web site because i have at&t so they wont give me the price. and without putting phone # they wont go anywhere.
thanks my e mail is om1955@yahoo.com

By OM ARORA @ 08/25/08 04:30:48 PMreport abuse

VoIP phone service

I have had good luck with my Xtreme voip service. The company lets you call 18 countries for $24.99 a month. Although I never called anyone outside the USA. I found that you could pay for the year and save $$. I had vonage at one time but I enjoy Xtreme voip's features much better. Here is the web site I use: www.voipcallsRus.com

By Ken @ 08/25/08 03:48:35 PMreport abuse

Tariff phone calls???

I e-mailed my phone company (verizon) and also called them. they say they have no such thing??? i pay 27.40 a month,and they say that is as cheap as they charge???

By Barbara McEvoy @ 08/25/08 03:37:49 PMreport abuse

SPRINT CELL TOWERS

Hi Clarke,
You may want to think twice before putting a cell tower in your home. The verdict is still out about the danger of the multitude of radiation and electromagnetic systems that we are exposed to, especially cell phones. It is definitely not recommended that young people and children be exposed to these waves and rays. I'm afraid that the future will prove that all these gadgets have severely compromised our health.

By Cynthia @ 08/25/08 03:35:35 PMreport abuse

The only reason I have a land-line is to monitor my security system. Is there a way around this?

By Cia @ 08/25/08 03:28:33 PMreport abuse

Low Home Telephone Price

I have had Packet 8 for about 7 years. It is a VOIP phone that is my only home phone. It has been reliable service, that works like Vonage, but for way less $$ than Vonage. I pay $199.00 per year (plus tax of about $3.00 per month). Thats less than $17.00+the tax per month. Check it out at www.packet8.net

By Elsa McCord @ 08/25/08 01:49:42 PMreport abuse

phone

We still have a land line because we want internet service. (DSL) we do not have or want cable. Is there a cheaper alternative? jean

By jean cribb@excite.com @ 08/25/08 01:12:42 PMreport abuse

Term Life Insurance

Is there a formula or rule of thumb that I should use to determine how much in dollar amount I should purchase. Also what AM bEST RATE SHOULD i LOOK For in picking a comnpany.

By Erick Strong @ 08/25/08 01:04:16 PMreport abuse

SUPERVISOR?

I RECENTLY CALLED VERIZON TO DISCUSS MY INVOICE, COULD NOT GET ANYWHERE WITH THE REP, I ASKED TO SPEAK TO HER SUPERVISOR AND THE REP TOLD ME IN NO UNCERTAIN TERMS THAT I WOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO SPEAK WITH HER SUPERVISOR.

By DON @ 08/25/08 01:02:19 PMreport abuse

state-regulated tariff rate

I looked on my Windstream phone bill and did not see any such charge listed. Would it be called by another name? or am I just getting a really great deal from my phone company. I have a residential line charge of $21.44 and a fcc access charge of $6.50. THe rest looks like taxes.

By Becky Braswell @ 08/25/08 12:02:01 PMreport abuse

Tariff rate plus OneSuite

I have used OneSuite service for four years and found nothing that equals it's service. I can make calls for 2 1/2 cents per minute from any phone in the country and do not neet hi speed internet or a computer. Why would anyone pay vonage $35.00 a month when you could buy 23 hours 33 minutes of talk time from OneSuite. I changed my landline to the $11.00 a month rate, down from $31.00, and by using the OneSuite 2 1/2 cents per minute, get off really cheap. Couldn't use MagicJack as they are not in my locality and all calls to me would have been long distance for the caller, even my next door neighbor.

By David Boccabello @ 08/25/08 12:01:43 PMreport abuse

Home-based "cell tower"

In hilly Marietta, GA, we have had T-mobile @ Home for about a year. Had to purchase $50 router and $100 cellphone (we got rebates - total upfront cost $20 per person. (2 phones, 2 routers - put 2nd router in my office and told S.Bell business line to take a hike) Now we have great cell phone service at our house via WiFi/VOIP which is in a valley that cell tower can't reach. The phone also jumps on any and all WiFi hotspots worldwide. My wife pays $10 month extra on her cell plan so that WiFi calls don't count against her plan minutes. She works for an international airline and calls me from all over the world - FREE!(so far unable in Japan and Paris) Now T-Mobile says that a different $50 purchase router is available that allows me to plug in my entire house phone system to my broadband service, keeping the same telephone number, for $10 per month (2-year commitment) with free local/long distance, caller ID, voice mail with remote access, etc. The service works on all hard-wired extension phones in the house - not just one handset. Based on good reliability experience with T-Mobile, we are going to try it. Downside - everything at the mercy of the broadband provider - when the broadband goes down we loose internet and telephone and cell phone unless we go out on the back deck - and in our case television (Comcast). We have Comcast digital phone now for $19.95 mo plus $3/mo. modem rental (ripoff). My one-person rented office offers free DSL - so I plugged the second router into the DSL outlet and now have a great cell phone service and wireless internet connection. T-Mobile has weak marketing - they should be all over these services, signing customers up by the thousands - insttead they had one blitz for each service and then backed off - go figure. Maybe their network just can't handle the volume that a successful marketing campaign might produce.

By Rick Buckalew @ 08/25/08 11:54:19 AMreport abuse

Land-line phones and work from home

According to the ABC News website, which is loaded with good Work from home info, some companies require a land-line as well as an old-style phone. No cordless allowed. I'm considering switching back from Vonage.

By Linda @ 08/25/08 11:41:43 AMreport abuse

SAFA

Where do I find out about SAFA? And how much are outgoing calls?

By patricia @ 08/25/08 11:14:49 AMreport abuse

SAFA Line

I just found out you can have a DSL line only and not a phone line. It is called SAFA. I am getting ready to change to that.

By Shelly Bloom @ 08/25/08 11:03:08 AMreport abuse

phone bills

I have Vonage which I love but it's $35 a month. I was just turned on to Magic Jack which is $39 for the device and $19.95 a year for service. I paid around $220 for 2 devices and 5 years of service and it's less than half my Vonage bill!

By Tracey @ 08/25/08 11:00:12 AMreport abuse

land lines

what do you do about faxs if you do away with your land line? I would like to use that verizon thing for my computer too instead of paying such high dsl fees.

By patsy burberry @ 08/25/08 10:47:31 AMreport abuse

state tarrif rate for landline

I just called Embarq and changed our landline to the basic "no frill" line! The state rate for us -OH- is 16.05... bottom line... saved $25 per month over the previous billing rate! thanks!

By Carol O @ 08/20/08 01:01:27 PMreport abuse

State Tariff Rates

How can I find out what is the tariff rate for basic phone service for each state?

By Carter @ 08/18/08 08:44:02 PMreport abuse

boosting cell phone reception

I want to improve my cell phone reception so I can dump my landline. But I'm rural and only have dial-up internet. Any technology you know of? I could go satellite for internet service. Thanks.

By Ray @ 08/18/08 03:35:26 PMreport abuse

femtocell

I would like more information about this. would it work with a tracfone?

By Lila @ 08/18/08 12:51:04 PMreport abuse

Tariff Rates

I asked for the tariff rate from AT&T they told me I could make 60 calls per month and my rate would be reduced by $5.00 put I would have to pay $14.00 to have my service changed over.

By Carolyn Smith @ 08/18/08 11:29:48 AMreport abuse

Femptocells

This is just another way to move voice traffic off Sprint's infrastructure that they pay for, onto your internet connection that you pay for. And they have the nerve to charge you for it? Even though I am for Net Neutrality, this is a prime reason why the yoyos at the Comcast and Time warner are against it.

By Marty @ 08/18/08 10:54:10 AMreport abuse

monopoly phone company and ask for the "state-regulated tariff rate.

where can i find out about?
(With the tariff rate, you get a basic dial-tone with no frills or extra features. It should cost between $7-$18/month. You'll still pay $10-$13/month in junk fees)

By Rinard @ 08/18/08 10:24:39 AMreport abuse

$15 month line

I believe that is called the "granny line" and is mandated by the FCC so that people can afford a basic line as long as they don't use it. The problem with that line is that although you have can take unlimited incoming calls, you have to pay for outgoing phone calls. That might work for a fax line but not for most people.

By Ben @ 08/17/08 06:40:32 PMreport abuse

Too much

Apparently Clark is paying too much. I have a basic dial tone line. All incoming calls are free, but I have to pay for each outgoing call - $15 per month.

By jimmy @ 08/16/08 08:38:19 PMreport abuse

Cell phone TV Service

Hmmm... seems like the next step would be to just deliver tv to your home via cell service. TVs would have to add the technology, but that could provide a real challenge to the cable companies, and provide another alternative to the dish...

By Jason @ 08/15/08 03:51:54 PMreport abuse

Listen Live:

Clark On Demand:

Clark's Advice:

Consumer Action Center:

Quick Links:

Clark Media:

Call The Show:

Aug 15, 2008 -- Sprint rolls out new femtocell

What others are saying