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   RM> That's my Internet access mainly. Other than that my cell   
     > phone is just for emergencies, travel or for rare long   
     > distance calls which would cost me extra on my land line.   
      
   AA>Why not switch entirely to cellular?  That's what I did just a   
     >few years ago. I got tired of the seasonal issues with the   
     >landlines developing hum/noises.   
      
   Every year when I was wintering in town I put the phone on 'Vacation'   
   over the winter, which saved me a little money, and every spring I   
   wondered if I shouldn't go to just a cell phone. Probably the only   
   reason I haven't done that yet is because the land line here is so   
   cheap ($29.75) and my cell phone is pretty old so I worry about it   
   suddenly having a problem and having no other sourse of communication   
   since my cell phone is also my internet connection. I just got used   
   to using them for different things and didn't change over..   
      
   I'll grant you it's a bit of a waste of money though, especially   
   now when there's just me here so there's no issues with who gets   
   to keep the phone if one person goes out unless you have a second+   
   cell phone.   
      
   AA>My rate was about $35/mo (no extra features). I guess that was   
     >a grandfathered rate or something, but I learned that other   
     >people were paying as over $60 just for a basic service (no   
     >features). Now, the minimum seems to be $80.   
      
   Yes, I have the lowest land line rate of anyone I know. In my case   
   the Bell Box is very old and, technically, it is using an old   
   party line system where they've changed over from 4 customers on   
   a line to 2 customers who can share the line without ever knowing   
   someone else could also using it at the same time. The easiest way   
   to see this was back when I was on dial-up internet and the fastest   
   speed I could get was 26k instead of 56k..   
      
   AA>I use a ZTE mobile router that houses the SIM card. The device   
     >feeds regular RJ11 to any existing corded phones or the house   
     >wiring. The device also provides local wifi.   
      
   My sister has something like that where they use their old land   
   line phones through a cell phone, although I don't think they   
   had to have a SIM card in anything but one of their cell phones.   
   It just is set to share the signal somehow.   
      
   RM> (It should maybe be mentioned that my brother and sister   
     > are both in far worse health than I am..  so far   
     > anyways..)   
      
   AA>Younger or older?   
      
   My Sister is 3 years older and my brother, who is in the worst   
   shape, is 3 years younger.   
      
   I think they both have Blood Pressure problems, my sister had   
   cancer (in remission now) and she broke her neck being thrown   
   from a horse and had what they call an Orthopedic Decapitation   
   where your skull totally disconnects from your spine but you are   
   lucky enough not to snap the spinal cord. They were able to fuse   
   things back togther and she can function pretty well but has very   
   little ability to turn her head.   
      
   My brother has severe 'brittle' diabetes which mainly affected   
   the nerves in his feet to the point where he can't drive anymore   
   or walk very far, and I think he has other health issues he hasn't   
   gone into details on. I know he's been in the hospital emergency   
   a number of times with his heart racing out of control. He has   
   medication for that at home but sometimes it gets too severe.   
   ---   
    * SLMR Rob  * It's not the chances you get, it's the chances you take   
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