The times they are a-changin’ when it comes to personal communications. That’s because as we become increasingly tech-savvy people, we’re developing ever more advanced options for communicating with each other. And as we tend toward using the Internet more, many folks are starting to use a hard phone line less and less. In fact, many families are already looking to use their smartphones as their primary phone lines, forgoing their land lines all together.
However, if you’re not fully aware of what cutting your phone cord will do to your home, then severing the line may end up interfering with your family’s ability to stay connected with the outside world. This is especially true if your household currently receives its Internet service via the phone line.
But, if you are looking into getting Internet service without a phone line, then we’d like to give you some vital information on 8 other ways you can access the World Wide Web. As you’re reviewing these options, keep in mind that it’s possible only some of them are available to or nearby your household. Thus, your ability to connect will depend on specific providers and the technological infrastructures in your area, but there’s bound to be a few alternate paths to the Internet within arm’s reach.
Get Naked DSL (if you ask nicely)
Using modern technology, providers can now deliver high-speed Internet and phone connections at different frequencies. That means there’s no reason that customers can’t access any combination of phone and DSL Internet via the copper lines already attached to their homes. And as a re
sult, many Internet providers now offer their customers “Naked” DSL service (also known as “standalone” DSL or “free standing” DSL) all by itself, without the bundled phone service they had previously required.
Even though the service hasn’t been receiving much advertising attention, if you already have phone service and DSL over the same line, then there’s a good chance that Naked DSL is available in your service area as well, as these two systems are often interconnected. This option is especially cost-effective if your household is relatively small and each family member has his or her own mobile device.
Satellite Internet is out of this world, and anywhere you want it
In more remote areas of the country where other types of connections (like phone lines) aren’t readily available, satellite Internet is a phenomenal, and increasingly popular, solution for getting online. That’s because satellite Internet service providers beam their data signals into your home all the way from satellites hovering above the Earth out in space. And this means they don’t need to run any hard wires to bring you the web.
Though this technology is extremely versatile in its ability to reach users in isolated locations, you’ll likely need to invest a little extra (in buying or renting the satellite dish) if you want to access the Internet via satellite. Plus, it’s important to keep in mind that things such as interference from bad weather, for example, can significantly affect download and upload speeds. However, private tech firms have already begun designing satellites that operate in lower orbits and could be used to deliver stronger, more reliable satellite Internet signals. So, don’t be surprised if this cost-effective type of Internet service earns more business once the next generation of satellites are in orbit.
Fiber Optic wires form a path to the future
If you’re looking for the fastest, most secure connection around, then there’s a good chance your next Internet connection will be over fiber. This technology is capable of achieving incredible speeds far higher than DSL or satellite by transporting data in the form of electrical light signals through a new kind of wire – one made of transparent glass fibers that are about the diameter of a human hair.
However, while speeds are so good that you can rapidly download music and movies, the downside of Fiber Optic Internet service being the latest in communications technology is that it’s not yet widely accessible in all areas. But as more and more folks get used to these blazing fast internet speeds, they’ll demand it, and Fiber Optic Internet will eventually become available nearly everywhere. In fact, big cable and Internet providers are already hard at work digging up old copper wires and replacing them with fiber-optic cables, so there’s a good chance your family will receive Internet access without a phone cord sooner than later.
Cable is capable of so much more than just TV
Far too often, when people say the word “cable,” they’re simply referring to their TV service. But cable companies offer so much more than just cable TV. They can also deliver digital phone service and high-speed internet service directly to your home. In fact, Cable Internet providers actually utilize the very same coaxial cable that connects to your television sets to bring you Internet, which means that you can likely get connected in no time at all, and you won’t ever need a home phone line to do so.
“Your family will get Internet without a phone cord sooner than later.”
And, here’s a huge added bonus for cable Internet customers: If you subscribe to cable internet at home, you get free access to all of their WiFi hot spots around town. Back in 2012, Bright House Networks, Cablevision Optimum, Cox Communications, Time Warner Cable, and XFINITY networks announced that they’re now enabling each other’s broadband customers to access each other’s metro Wi-Fi hot spots – all for free. The cable Internet companies have called this new, shared network of more than 500,000 hot spots “CableWiFi” as an extension of the WiFi services they offer.
To see where WiFi hot spots are located in your area, just head to CableWiFi.com and pick your current provider for a map of all the nearby hot spots. Or, if they have one, download your provider’s mobile app and find the hot spots that way. To access the web via the hot spots, all you need to do is connect to the network and sign in with the credentials your cable provider has given you.
Public WiFi is aplenty for city dwellers
If you use your cell phone for all calls, dropping your landline has probably crossed your mind. If that impacts your current Internet access, however, the next step is exploring options for Internet service without a phone line. Internet via satellite, cable, and wireless are the typical solutions, though DSL Internet providers are also offering dry loop,” “naked DSL” or “stand-alone” that allow consumers to use DSL Internet service without a phone line. Learn more about the options for Internet service without a phone line and which internet package is best for you.
Other nations worldwide provide public WiFi to citizens free-of-charge as a public service, and there’s a good chance that the United States will eventually head in this direction. In the meantime, you and your family should be able to find Internet connections at nearby coffee shops, public libraries, universities, bookstores, and hotels.
MiFi lets you take your WiFi wherever you go
Okay, so hopping around town while tapping into free hot spot after free hot spot doesn’t sound very appealing to you? No worries, because you can literally carry the Internet around with you instead, using a mobile, personal hot spot – such as a MiFi. Assuming you don’t mind paying a little bit for the technology and service, a small device that’s slim enough to slip into your shirt pocket can connect to a cellular network and provide internet access for up to ten other devices. Depending upon the specific personal hot spot you buy, the MiFi can wirelessly connect to a 3G or 4G cellular network just like a phone, but it then takes that connection and broadcasts a Wi-Fi signal to all your devices within a 30-foot range.
In a similar vein, a USB modem plugs directly into your laptop and lets you bring the Internet along with you. Many companies have small USB keys that look like a jump drive and can be plugged into any USB port. These USB keys work just like large modems, receiving satellite- or radio-transmitted Internet signals and putting them into your computer. Only, with these smaller ones, you’re never anchored to a specific place, you’re never out of range of the signal, and you won’t be forced to leave work half-finished.
Tethering turns your smartphone into a wireless modem
No matter how cool it sounds to have your own WiFi with you wherever you go, if you just don’t think you’d get enough use out of a personal hot spot or USB modem to make it worth the investment cost, then you’d never purchase one. But, the good news is that there’s another way to make WiFi happen with a device that’s likely already in your pocket – your smartphone.
The functionality known as “tethering” lets you turn your 3G or 4G cell phone signal into an internet connection. Certain apps for both Apple and Android operating systems can transform your smartphone into a portable modem, giving your laptop the Internet to take along for the ride. This method works really well if you want to turn your cell phone into a WiFi-generating machine for your laptop, or if you want to give new life to that old cell phone you still have lying around the house. Just know that it’ll take a little preparation beforehand to setup – either jailbreaking your iPhone or rooting your Android – and that using your smartphone as a hot spot will quickly drain the phone’s battery, even with light surfing.
Get the Internet through your power lines
Want the simplest way to get Internet ever? How’s about a plug-and-play device? Yep, that exists, too. Companies such as FreedomPop let you pay for a single device that plugs directly into the wall and gives you the Internet. There’s no need for any phone lines or cables, as you just plug the modem into an electrical outlet and start browsing.
If you are a light Internet user and you live within the company’s service area, then this “free” high-speed Internet is a great alternative. There are no contracts for service, and if you stay under the 1GB data limit per month – which is completely adequate for sending and receiving emails and surfing the web – then you never need to pay anything more once you initially buy the modem.
So if you’re already using your cell phone for all your phone calls, then dropping your landline service has probably crossed your mind by now. To make that happen, the next step is exploring the 8 options we’ve listed above for getting Internet service without a phone line. And at Allconnect, we’re happy to help you set up your high-speed Internet service with the connection type and provider of your choice – all at no cost to you. Just give us a quick call or click, and we’ll bring you the Internet as fast as possible. Because we know that there is no one blanket solution that’s best for all users in all situations. Your best option for Internet without a phone line will depend upon the cell phone service you have, the devices you own, the speed you’ll need, your budget, and where you live or travel.
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