Local DC Phone Service?

[Dragsterhund]

Does anyone know if there is a local phone service that charges you on a per-call basis or something? I'm tired of paying comcast 40 bucks a month for phone service that I only have for the alarm system in the house? When I was in college the local phone service had like a 15 dollar a month phone service (no call waiting, no voice mail, no long distance), just bare-bones basic phone service... does anyone around here offer that?

[Geaux]

See if what you want is in the "Local and Regional Calling Plans" category.

http://www22.verizon.com/Residential/ViewAllProducts/ViewAllProducts.htm

Here's a list of other phone services available for DC.

http://www.dcpsc.org/customerchoice/whatis/telecommunications/5_1.shtm

[Ducatista]

IIRC, when I was living in Sterling, Verizon was only $13/month.

[Dragsterhund]

13 bucks? The cheapest package for my zip code is 36 bucks a month

[Geaux]

Hmm, try calling Verizon or else clicking on one of those Local and Regional plans to add it to your cart, enter your address, choose the $40+ plan, change plan, update cart, select carrier,....  It let me choose the $12.78 plan without really choosing it, so I'm not sure if it'll work all the way.

[ducati culture]

Hmm, try calling Verizon or else clicking on one of those Local and Regional plans to add it to your cart, enter your address, choose the $40+ plan, change plan, update cart, select carrier,....  It let me choose the $12.78 plan without really choosing it, so I'm not sure if it'll work all the way.

They are correct!  give them a call! 

[Stick]

Do you have a cell and why can't you just use that? I got rid of my land line when I found out I could let people in using my cell. Now I can admit people from wherever I am in the world.

[dolci]

I think you need a landline for the alarm system - i know my house was like that.

[ducatiz]

i have a verizon landline with no services, costs me $18/month plus tax.  i use it for incoming faxes and local calls are free, regional and long distance are something like 25cents/minute.  we would only use this phone for 911 calls if needed.

i also have a Verizon VOICEWING VOIP line.  I am very happy with that so far.  I had Vonage for several years and got sick of them. 

Altogethre, I spend about $40/month on my phone, not including the cable connection to run the VOIP.

[Ducatista]

Do you have a cell and why can't you just use that? I got rid of my land line when I found out I could let people in using my cell. Now I can admit people from wherever I am in the world.

The system that is in your apartment is already connected to a phone line, so when it's dialing you, it's just waiting for the DTMF tone(s) your phone needs to send (your key presses) to let the person in.  An alarm system, however, has a modem that needs to be on a line.  You either need to have your alarm panel's modem hooked up through a landline or rent/buy the equipment to have it work over a cellular network.

The short answer is that you can't just use your cell phone.