The Retirement Thread

[SpokeyDokey]

Don't you get any hassel from them, I get a letter a month, I've started sending them back

Jumping in: we have had zero hassle in the year we have not had a TV licence.

If they ever rock-up on our doorstep they will get very short shrift from us.

Not heard the include in Council Tax proposal, tbh.

Hard to know what to believe at times. Maybe similar to the proposal to stop pensioners 'free' NHS prescriptions being back on the table due to our economic woes.

 

[SpokeyDokey]

I might get rid of my normal phone now that my brother has found video calling. He got rid of his home phone a week ago.

I only ever used it when my mum was still alive. The payment people that phone now are people trying to sell me solar panels.

We don't miss ours - long gone.

 

[PaulSB]

I might get rid of my normal phone now that my brother has found video calling. He got rid of his home phone a week ago.

I only ever used it when my mum was still alive. The payment people that phone now are people trying to sell me solar panels.

Consider this. When I had my brain haemorrhage I used the house phone for the 999 call. I knew instinctively where it was. My mobile could have been anywhere.

Our house phone costs nothing as we don't use it. As our broadband is delivered via a phone cable the phone is live. I would never get rid of the landline

 

[PaulSB]

Re TV licenses, I understand the argument for those who don't watch the Beeb. Can I ask though do you listen to the radio, access the website, use the sport app, the weather forecast etc?

If the report of a mutual organisation funded by the taxpayer is correct I feel it could be a good way forward. The BBC is a lot more than a couple of TV channels.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

We keep our landline because the sound is clearly on that than on the mobiles

mine has wifi calling which is better so when my wife gets a new phone - which could be soon - we will look at it again

I do wonder about some people who have large phones
my phone is normally in my pocket - but if it was slightly bigger I couldn;t do that - no idea where some people carry them
I do see a lot of people with it in their back pocket which seems silly because
a) it would be easy to steal
b) it would be very easy to sit on or fall onto and break
c) it could easily fall out
d) you constantly have to remember it is there so protect from a b and c

 

[Mo1959]

Landlines will soon all be digital and require to be plugged into your router rather than the socket anyway if they get their way. Also means if you lose power, you lose your phone which doesn’t seem ideal. That big storm we had a few years ago our power went off plus the mobile mast went down so absolutely no way of making an emergency call I don’t think.

 

[numbnuts]

Re TV licenses, I understand the argument for those who don't watch the Beeb. Can I ask though do you listen to the radio, access the website, use the sport app, the weather forecast etc?

If the report of a mutual organisation funded by the taxpayer is correct I feel it could be a good way forward. The BBC is a lot more than a couple of TV channels.

Not listened to the radio in years, I don't use the BBC for anything so why should I pay.
My argument is when I didn't have a car I told DVLA and that was the end of it, but the BBC thinks every body in guilty and we have to prove our innocence first.

 

[Drago]

Re TV licenses, I understand the argument for those who don't watch the Beeb. Can I ask though do you listen to the radio, access the website, use the sport app, the weather forecast etc?

A) Only ever Planet Rock for about 14 hours a day (in fact it's on as I type.)

B) Nope.

C) Nope.

D) Nope. Met Office or Accuweather.

I'm not interested in any of their products or services.

 

[numbnuts]

Landlines will soon all be digital and require to be plugged into your router rather than the socket anyway if they get their way. Also means if you lose power, you lose your phone which doesn’t seem ideal. That big storm we had a few years ago our power went off plus the mobile mast went down so absolutely no way of making an emergency call I don’t think.

Mine is already digital.
Oh and the veg curry was nice

 

[Mo1959]

Mine is already digital.
Oh and the veg curry was nice

Same here. Phone is plugged straight into the router. It’s not costing me anything anyway as I never use it for outgoing calls. There’s a couple of people I know that still phone me on the landline so I’ve just hung on to it.

 

[Gunk]

Landlines will soon all be digital and require to be plugged into your router rather than the socket anyway if they get their way. Also means if you lose power, you lose your phone which doesn’t seem ideal. That big storm we had a few years ago our power went off plus the mobile mast went down so absolutely no way of making an emergency call I don’t think.

Our business landline works via a VOIP app on my iPhone, this is cheaper than having a physical phone with copper wires plus I can answer it and make calls anywhere.

 

[SpokeyDokey]

Landlines will soon all be digital and require to be plugged into your router rather than the socket anyway if they get their way. Also means if you lose power, you lose your phone which doesn’t seem ideal. That big storm we had a few years ago our power went off plus the mobile mast went down so absolutely no way of making an emergency call I don’t think.

Yes, all the analogue lines are being phased out.

And, as you rightly say when the power is out you may be goosed in an emergency.

My guess is that this situation will change relatively quickly as I read an article indicating that mobiles will eventually be fully integrated with the emergency satellite systems used by eg Garmin inReach devices. Apple from iPhone 14 onwards have this as text only. The next step will be voice calls albeit, initially, with a hefty price tag.

 

[Drago]

Some Android phones already have the D2C ability built in, just waiting for someone to come up with a network.

 

[Mo1959]

Yes, all the analogue lines are being phased out.

It worries me a bit about the elderly that might not have broadband or be up to adapting to mobile use.

 

[PaulSB]

Landlines will soon all be digital and require to be plugged into your router rather than the socket anyway if they get their way. Also means if you lose power, you lose your phone which doesn’t seem ideal. That big storm we had a few years ago our power went off plus the mobile mast went down so absolutely no way of making an emergency call I don’t think.

Yes and something I disagree with. It's very difficult to get figures on this. Most reports indicate 95%+ of households "have access to" the Internet.

I often wonder what that phrase means? It's politicians' words.