Do You Need A Phone Line For Internet Connection

Ladywriter1968

Do I need a phone line and land line for internet connection with DSL?

The reason I ask is at the moment we have BT land line and AOL Internet connection, but on the Netgear set up pages my phone number is on there on the login basic settings mode Number@dialbb.com

I guess even without a land line we would have to pay for both anyways since using the phone line for connection anyways with DLS filters, am I correct?

Not to sure how it works. just wondered?

Thanks

neilwoods

Dont need a phone line for internet. Can use mobile broadband, either via broadband dongle or via mobile phone, but depending on your usage, possibly expect to pay a lot more than you are already are

ChiefGrasscutter

I think your question is are you required to have a functioning landline number on your landline broadband connection.
What you want I suspect is called Naked DSL in other countries.....a broadband connection down the landline but no dial tone.

You want to avoid paying the landline voice rental costs don't you!
Sorry - not in the UK
Forbidden by OFCOM
This is because the landline rental charge goes in some considerable way towards maintaining the broadband equipment. So the landline rental charge is cross subsiding the broadband charge.
If Naked DSL was permitted and lots of people dumped the landline voice part then broadband charges would have to go up very considerably.
Given that there are lots more landline only lines than broadband activated landlines in the UK there is a very considerable subsidly being paid towards yours and mine broadband by those non ADSL voice only landlines.

Think of it as a rent for the maintaining of physical line/infrastructure to your house as being one part, then the voice facility and the broadband facility as being 2 extra parts, except that parts 1 and 2 are lumped together in the UK and part 3 is reduced.

This is why your landline broadband is so cheap.
I joke you say:
Try this from the USA http://wwwb.comcast.com/internet-service.html
$64 per month for a up to 20Mbps service! (first three months reduced rate of only $35/month)

Wi88le

If you are in a virgin media cable area they will do you broadband without a phone line.

Jamie_Carter

As Wi88le says, with Virgin Media you don't need a phone line, as the signal comes through coax cable and not a phone line. However it works out cheaper if you have a phone line as part of the package deal.

paddyrg

I suspect there's also some provision for 999 access, if everyone dumped their landlines for naked dsl I could see a lot more fires and ambulances dispatch problems. At the moment, every phone can be used for emergency services.

That aside, yes you can get broadband internet without a landline. You can get 3G/4G dongles and data connections. Expect to pay significantly more for this however there are deals available if you hunt. Best bet is to sign up to an expensive mobile contact with a lot of tethered GB included in the package, then connect through the phone.

Edit- I do just this, get all my broadband wirelessly, it is somewhat hit and miss though - I have had to get 2 networks as relying on one alone left me networkless to often to be a reliable business tool

agrinnall

Thinkbroadband has just completed a survey of it's users on whether they would like Naked DSL and how much they would be prepared to pay for it. I think the results are due out today but there's no sign of them at the moment.

Jamie_Carter

paddyrg wrote: »

That aside, yes you can get broadband internet without a landline. You can get 3G/4G dongles and data connections. Expect to pay significantly more for this however there are deals available if you hunt. Best bet is to sign up to an expensive mobile contact with a lot of tethered GB included in the package, then connect through the phone.

Edit- I do just this, get all my broadband wirelessly, it is somewhat hit and miss though - I have had to get 2 networks as relying on one alone left me networkless to often to be a reliable business tool

I'd just like to add that for those who have paid more, rather than use Tesco Mobile, because they didn't do tethering, they have now started offering this. Tethering is now available on their Android phones, and will be on their iphones soon.

I switched to Tesco Mobile for an iphone sim only contract a few months ago, and was disappointed to find that they didn't do tethering. So I enquired with O2 (who Tesco actually use), and they were going to charge me almost double what Tesco charge

NPowerUser

Apparently you do not need a phone line with this company
http://www.avonlinebroadband.co.uk/

Jamie_Carter

NPowerUser wrote: »

Apparently you do not need a phone line with this company
http://www.avonlinebroadband.co.uk/

But apparently satellite broadband is very expensive.

NPowerUser

Jamie_Carter wrote: »

But apparently satellite broadband is very expensive.

I am a light user so when my current deal expires its something I might consider.

The initial costs are quite high but seeing as I never use a land line phone, £25 a month doesn't seem too bad?