Don't hang up your home phone just yet! When we asked 44,000-plus consumers why they subscribed to home phone service instead of relying solely on their cell phones, the reasons included habit, price, reliability, and quality. Here are the top eight reasons cited for keeping their landline.

1. I have always had a home phone line: 53 percent of respondents



2. My home phone service is in a bundled plan with other services and I would lose a good rate if I dropped it: 40 percent

3. I'm not sure I can rely on cell phone service if I have an emergency: 37 percent



4. My home phone service has much better sound quality than my cell phone service: 31 percent

5. I don't want to give up my phone number: 30 percent

6. I use my home phone line for business purposes/home office/faxing: 21 percent

7. My home security system requires a traditional home phone line: 18 percent

8. Cell phone service is unavailable or unreliable at home (e.g., lost connections): 18 percent

If you decide to hang onto your home phone, think about buying a new cordless model. The latest phones have convenience features that might make an upgrade worth your while.



Source: Consumer Reports National Research Center Spring 2013 survey of 44,181 Consumer Reports subscribers who have both cell phone and home phone (with long-distance) service

— Eileen McCooey

