Spectrum, owned by Charter Communications, is an American company that offers residential and business internet, cable TV, mobile, and home phone services. The company also offers service packages and frequent promotional deals. In this article, we will explore the Spectrum landline phone service for seniors and establish which Spectrum services are the best option for elderly customers.
Where Are Spectrum Landline Phone Services for Seniors Available
Spectrum offers its landline phone services (as well as other services) to residents of the following U.S. states: Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
Spectrum Landline Phone Service Plans for Seniors
Spectrum offers landline service under Spectrum Voice. Spectrum Voice provides reliable home phone services with the following options and features:
- Instant tracing to 911 services
- Unlimited nationwide calling within the US and to Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Guam, U.S. Virgin Islands, Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa
- Selected call forwarding, which enables you to reroute calls from up to 30 contact to your cell phone or any other phone
- Readable voicemail (full-text transcriptions and audio files of your voicemails, which you receive via email)
- Caller ID on Spectrum TV (if you also have Spectrum TV, of course)
- Caller ID
- Block anonymous and unwanted calls
- Accept selected callers to your voicemail
- Backup phone number set up to forward calls if your service is unavailable
- Call waiting with caller ID
- Speed dial
- Return call
- Call guard system
- 3-way calling
- Do not disturb option
- Block international calls, outbound caller ID, collect calls, 900/976 calls, or 3rd party changes
- Trace call
- Forward calls when busy and forward calls when no answer
- Up to two separate phone lines for residential customers
- Unlimited amount of phones you can use
- Compatibility with home security systems
- Compatibility with Life Alert Systems
- VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) to transport calls over Spectrum’s private network
- An optional wire maintenance repair program to provide repair service for your jacks and inside wiring for a low monthly fee
- No added taxes or fees
The price of the Spectrum Voice phone service is $19.99 a month.
In addition, there are also Spectrum Voice International Calling Plans that enable users to stay connected to people worldwide at an affordable price.
These plans act like add-ons, which can be added to the original basic Spectrum Voice plan described above.
In terms of international calling plans, you have two options. You can either purchase the monthly add-on plan that costs $5 a month and connects you to 70 counties for a very low charge. Alternatively, you can choose the Pay per Call option that offers low rates (only a few pennies) per minute. This is a great option for those customers who only make a few international calls per year. You can see Spectrum’s international calling rates by country at spectrum.com/content/dam/spectrum/residential/en/home-phone/internationalcalling/resi_2124_Voice_International_Long_Distance_Pricing_R1%20(1)%20(1)%20(1).pdf.
If you wish to get this offer, you must first purchase the original Spectrum Voice home phone plan and then add the Spectrum Voice International Calling Plan or simply pay per call
Spectrum Landline Phone Service Bundles for Seniors
You also have the option to bundle Spectrum Voice services with other Spectrum services. You can get all the services in one convenient package. This way, you can enjoy unlimited local and long-distance calls with Spectrum Voice, a fast Spectrum Internet connection, and over 125 available channels with Spectrum TV. You have the following bundle service options:
- Voice + Internet that adds fast and reliable internet services with no data caps
- Voice + TV with hundreds of channels and over 85000 On Demand options
- Voice + Internet + TV which enables you to stream live and On Demand content across more screens
To get started, simply add Spectrum Voice when you apply for Spectrum Internet or Spectrum TV.
Other Great and Affordable Landline Phone Services for Seniors
One of the largest disadvantages of Spectrum’s landline phone service for seniors is the fact that it doesn’t offer Lifeline discounts. However, there are some other companies that do offer Lifeline discounts and therefore provide very affordable landline phone services. These companies include:
AT&T
AT&T is a major telecommunications company that offers mobile phone and landline phone services, as well as Lifeline discounts for eligible households. These discounts offer a minimum of $5.25 off for qualifying customers and $25 off for Tribal Lifeline customers. To apply, visit their website and follow the instructions for your state of residence. AT&T’s home phone plans include nationwide and worldwide options with various rates and limitations. The best plan for you or your senior friend will depend on your specific needs.
CenturyLink
CenturyLink is a well-known provider of home phone services and offers several consumer assistance programs, such as Lifeline, ACP, and TAP. They provide free landline phone service for seniors and other eligible customers, and you can apply for this service on their website. CenturyLink offers different home phone plans, including the Standard Lifeline plan, which provides a monthly federal discount of $9.25, and the Tribal Lifeline plan, which offers a monthly discount and installation assistance for eligible customers on Tribal lands. The Unlimited Nationwide Plan is available for $60 per month, but plan availability may vary depending on your location, which you can check on their website.
Frontier Communications
Frontier Communications is a telecommunications company that provides reliable home phone services and a standard Lifeline Assistance discount. To apply for their free landline phone service for qualifying clients, visit their website and print out an application after checking if you are eligible. However, their plans are currently only available in combination with internet service and range from $37.99 to $54.99 per month with varying internet speeds and unlimited calls within the US, Canada, and Mexico. Frontier Communications also offers additional discount programs, which can be learned about on their website.
Other landline phone services suitable for seniors are offered by:
- TDS Telecom
- Verizon (Fios)
- Armstrong
- Xfinity
- Optimum
- Suddenlink
- Cox
- Mediacom
- Community Phone
- Ooma
How to Purchase Spectrum Landline Phone Service for Seniors
To purchase Spectrum landline phone service for seniors, you have two options. You can either visit a store or purchase the service online.
You can find a Spectrum store location near you at spectrum.com/stores. Then, you can visit a store, speak to a salesperson, and explain that you wish to purchase the company’s home phone service. The salesperson will then ask you whether you wish to buy just the Voice plan or if you wish to bundle it with another type of service, like TV or internet.
If, on the other hand, you decide to purchase the service online, simply visit spectrum.com/home-phone and press Shop Now. You will then be asked to enter your physical address so that the system can find offers in your exact location. You will then be able to see the offers and choose from them. Then, you can simply follow the on-screen prompts to place the order, just like you place any other online order. In case Spectrum doesn’t operate in your area, you may even be redirected to one of Spectrum’s partnering companies and purchase a suitable plan from them instead.
Reasons to Combine Spectrum Landline Phone Service with Mobile Service
One great thing about Spectrum landline phone service (Spectrum Voice) is that you can combine it with your mobile service as well. But are there any advantages to having both a mobile and a home phone? Indeed there are. And seniors may be especially interested in these advantages:
- Simplicity. Some people, especially seniors, prefer to keep things nice and simple. Instead of having a mobile phone with dozens of unknown, unneeded, and complicated features, they prefer to have a landline phone to simply call the people or services they need.
- Security system integration. Numerous security systems require integration with a landline. You also need a landline if you are planning to use a fax machine.
- Back-up for power outages. During a power outage, a landline phone can be used without electricity, unlike a cell phone that runs on a rechargeable battery that may run out of power.
- Features. Landlines offer features such as Caller ID on TV, VIP Ring, Block Anonymous Calls, and readable voicemail.
- No dropped calls.
- Reliability.
- Ease of relocating. If you move to a new location, having a landline ensures you have reliable phone service (you don’t have to worry about signal strength in the new location).
- Safety. If you need to call 911, the operator can easily locate you from a landline phone.
- Affordability. Landline services are very low-cost. Moreover, they are even more inexpensive when bundled with other services like TV and the Internet.
- Great sound quality. Landlines offer superior sound quality, which can be especially helpful for those with hearing impairments or loss.
The Benefits of Spectrum Landline Phone Service for Seniors
As you can see, Spectrum offers great landline phone service with many incredible features for a very affordable price. As mentioned before, Spectrum may not offer any landline plans particularly for seniors, however, their Spectrum Voice plan offers several features that tend to be of great benefit to elderly users, including:
- Instant tracing to 911 services.
- Unlimited nationwide calling within the US and to Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Guam, U.S. Virgin Islands, Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa, which may be of particular interest to those who have family members and friends in those countries and territories.
- Affordable international calling plans for those who have family members and friends in other countries.
- Selected call forwarding, which enables users to reroute calls from up to 30 contact to any other phone (cell or landline).
- Various Caller ID options.
- Speed dial and do not disturb options.
- Life Alert Emergency Response compatibility. Life Alert Emergency Response is a system that offers personal emergency response and medical alert services from a third-party provider. Spectrum Voice is compatible with most Life Alert Systems, and if you are worried about losing phone service during a power outage, they offer a battery backup option to help you stay connected.
- Security. The fact that Spectrum uses VoIP to transport calls over its own private network means that your calls never touch the public internet, which makes the process much safer. The last thing a senior user needs is security issues.
- Simplicity and reliability.
- Affordability.
- Supreme sound quality. This is especially important for senior users, especially those with hearing impairments or loss.
The Disadvantages of Spectrum Landline Phone Service for Seniors
In addition to many compelling pros of the Spectrum landline phone service for seniors, there are also some cons.
- First of all, Spectrum landline phone services don’t have any plans designed especially for seniors.
- Spectrum plans don’t offer special discounts for seniors.
- Spectrum doesn’t offer Lifeline discounts.
- Two separate phone lines may not be enough for certain households.
- Only one basic plan, while certain providers offer a wide variety of landline phone services.