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Fed up with having to fork out a chunk of your monthly income on landline phone service?
Don't worry; there are actually ways in which you can save serious dollars if you're a low-income household.
In this guide, we'll explore how you can get a free home phone service and if it's still worth having a home phone.
Who provides free landline service?
Ooma currently offers a basic plan that's totally free - all you'll have is the cost of equipment up front. After that, your only monthly costs are taxes and fees.
Switching over gives you crystal clear call quality like traditional landlines offer but with many more features, too – it's practically unbeatable.
The best free landline phone service
- Download
- Channels
- Calls
- Unlimited
- Monthly Price
- $0-1230 day money back guarantee
Ooma offers landline service with plans starting at $0.
Ooma Landline Plans
Package |
Internet |
TV |
Phone |
Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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Unlimited |
$11.99 |
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Unlimited |
$0.00 |
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Unlimited |
$9.99 |
Elevate your home phone experience with Ooma. Enjoy exceptional call clarity and a range of features like Alexa integration, call blocking, and 911 alerts included in the price.
With Ooma's basic home phone plan, you pay a one-off cost for your equipment and monthly taxes and fees. Plus, you can even keep your current phone number.
Offering flexibility when you're away from home, you can stay connected with Ooma's mobile app. If you're seeking a reliable home phone service that gives you plenty of bang for your buck, Ooma is a great choice.
Advantages of Ooma home phone service
With their home phone services, there are a range of benefits, including;
- Lower costs: Offering stand-alone home phone plans makes their landline service nearly half the price of a landline from a cable provider.
- Keep your number: You can easily transfer your number over.
- Flexibility: Take your home phone number wherever you go. With your provider's app, you'll be able to make and receive calls through the app.
- Clearer voice quality: Operating on high-speed internet or a cell network, the voice quality is crystal clear.
- Reliability: As long as you have a good internet connection or cell reception, Ooma home phones are very reliable.
- Easy installation: The landlines are easy to set up and install; there is no need to wait for a technician.
- Extra features: Using the internet or cellular network for your home phone service means there are many additional features available. Like three-way calling, video and conference calling, call forward, and lots of flexibility.
- Portability: If you move home, it's easy to take your home phone service to your new address.
Disadvantages of Ooma
Although there are many benefits to choosing a home phone service with Ooma, there are some things we don't like:
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No bundles: If you want to combine your internet and TV service on one bill, there are no bundling options.
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Location tracking: Due to the portability, it can sometimes be hard to pinpoint a location, which is mostly a concern if you need to call emergency services.
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Home security systems: Some older home security systems that use a landline may need to be updated.
Compare cheap home phone plans
| Provider | Minutes | Monthly Price |
|---|---|---|
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Unlimited | $12.99 |
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Unlimited | $39.99-49.99 |
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Unlimited | $0-11.99 |
Finding the best free landline phone service in your area
When choosing a home phone service, there are several important factors to consider in order to ensure that you get the best service for your needs and budget.
- Coverage: Home phone providers vary, depending on where you live. So, it's important to check coverage and what providers are available in your area. You can do this by checking coverage in your ZIP code.
- Features: Before choosing your landline phone package, you'll want to know what features you need. Things like call waiting, call forwarding, and voicemail-to-text are not always available or may cost extra.
- Cost: How much do you want to spend on your landline service? There are plenty of options available for all budgets and needs.
- Customer reviews: Make sure to check out reviews on the provider to see what current customers are saying.
Home phone features & benefits
Home phone service providers offer a number of benefits and calling features. But these can vary depending on the home phone service and the package you choose. Common features include;
- Caller ID: Not just a feature for cell phones. You can get caller ID on your landline too.
- Call forwarding: You can direct your incoming calls to another device or number.
- Three-way calling: This is great for group calls with family or friends.
- Call waiting: Be alerted if someone is trying to call you while you're on another call.
- Call blocking: Reject or block unwanted calls from unwelcome numbers. It is also referred to as anonymous call rejection and is ideal to avoid telemarketing calls.
- Voicemail-to-text transcription: This feature isn't offered with all providers, but some offer the option to have your voice messages sent to your email in text format.
- Unlimited calling: If you like spending hours on the phone, some providers offer unlimited calling, which can also be unlimited nationwide calling.
- International calling: If you've got family and friends abroad, check out providers that offer international calling with their plans. With VoIP providers using your existing internet connection, long-distance calls may be free or at a lower cost.
- Reliable home phone service: With a connection to high-speed internet for VoIP service or a backup battery with Wireless providers like Community Phone, you'll have reliable landline service.
- Keep your number: You can easily transfer your number over to your new landline phone service.
- Cheap landline phone service: Wireless and VoIP phone services offer the cheapest landline service deals. VoIP providers like Ooma offer their basic service plan for free.
What is the Lifeline program?
The Lifeline program is for individuals and families who meet the income guidelines or already take part in specific federal assistance programs.
There are some common misconceptions about Lifeline, and that the program is only for individuals who are on welfare or have no income. But that's not the case.
The program is available to households whose income is at or below 135% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines. Or who take part in other federal assistance programs. Including Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Medicaid, and SSI.
Additionally, it's not available for just home phones, but internet service as well.
The program is also available to veterans and residents of tribal lands, along with individuals living on federally-recognized tribal lands. It's important to note that eligibility for the program can vary by state. So, it's recommended you check out the specific guidelines in your area.
Traditional landline phone providers
Of course, you can still opt for traditional home phone service from one of the big cable companies like AT&T, Spectrum, Frontier, or Verizon. But you'd only get a home phone service for free from one of these providers via the Lifeline program if you were eligible.
Plus, you'll be required to bundle with an internet package.
Free landline phone FAQs
Yes, it is possible to get a landline phone service free of charge. Ooma offers a basic VoIP plan free. Only charging for the equipment and monthly taxes and fees.
A basic plan with Ooma of if you qualify, the Lifeline program provides landline service free of charge for low-income households.
It's different for everyone, depending on what you use your landline for and your budget. There is a range of affordable options with VoIP and wireless providers.
The monthly cost of landline phones will vary depending on the provider and plan you choose. But the price often ranges from free to $60 a month.
You can get a wireless landline phone that uses cell towers for your home phone service.
Recap - How can I get free landline phone service?
Nearly 97 million Americans still have a home phone service, and the great news is you don't have to be locked into an expensive contract. There are plenty of options for a free landline phone service.
Let's recap the free landline phone services.
- Cheapest home phone: Ooma home phone service is a one-off fee for the equipment and has a low monthly cost.
- Best overall provider: With free plans and great customer reviews, Ooma is our choice for the best home phone provider.
- Most flexible provider: Ooma offers different plans depending on your preference. With a choice of VoIP or Wireless, either service is great value for money.
- Lifeline assistance program: If you qualify for the Government Assistant program, you may be able to get a free phone service via Lifeline.
Home phone service FAQs
- What is a landline?
- How to Get Free Home Phone Service
- How to Get Free Landline Phone Service
- How to Keep Your Landline Phone Number
- How to Keep Your Landline Phone Number
| Provider | Minutes | Monthly Price |
|---|---|---|
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Unlimited | $12.99 |
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Unlimited | $39.99-49.99 |
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Unlimited | $0-11.99 |
