Seriously considering moving to Kona from Dallas! (Honolulu, Aiea: real estate, rental)

[terracore]

Originally Posted by Fredesch

I think getting a local number makes sense. I tend to ignore or block non local calls as I figure they are telemarketers and robocalls. How many Hawaiian businesses are going to pay much attention to a non local number, figuring they aren't going to get business from them.

Now that I think about it, I pretty much hit the "ignore" button on any non local number that I don't recognize. Has nothing to do with screening out the non 808 numbers, I just don't want another offer from a credit card company or some other telemarketer.

[Fredesch]

Exactly, how many times have you heard "this is card services wanting to lower your interstate rate". Robo spam calls!

[OpenD]

But you guys are talking about avoiding personal calls at home. A business owner isn't going to duck calls that way.

If you want to go that way, be my guest. I'm just saying that it's not necessary.

[hotzcatz]

I keep a land line since it is a much better telephone than any cellphone. It may not take pictures or look things up on the web, but when it comes to clear communication and one that will still be working in a disaster, it's hard to beat a land line. There are a half dozen folks I don't call because it would be a long distance call on the land line. If I want to call them, I have to go find the cellphone and turn it on and it's usually just too much bother. So, maybe if you have a local number there may be one or two more people who will call you?

[whtviper1]

Originally Posted by hotzcatz

There are a half dozen folks I don't call because it would be a long distance call on the land line.

Maybe this is a Big Island thing - but I didn't know anybody in 2013 with a landline or cellphone service charge "long distance" I thought that concept has been eliminated for quite some time. I didn't even know there was such a thing anymore.

On Oahu - I bet at least 1/4 of the people with cell phones have non-808 numbers. Certainly military people normally wouldn't change (or don't normally) - with so many military, it would be crazy for businesses to ignore a non-808 number.

[hotzcatz]

If I try to call Oahu on the land line, I'm pretty sure there will be a charge for it in addition to the monthly fee. Land lines haven't given up long distance charges that I know of. Has Hawaiiantel quit charging long distance fees? I'd love to use the land line for long distance since it actually makes nice crisp calls without any of that annoying "can you hear me now" and the battery dying in the middle of a conversation that cellphones do.

If you want archaic, you can use the rotary dial land line we have, but you have to put a coin in it it get it to go. Nice crisp clear sound through it, though, even though it's probably forty years old or older.

[whtviper1]

$25 for unlimited interisland and mainland calling with Hawaiian Telcom

https://www.hawaiiantel.com/Resident...7/Default.aspx

[Fredesch]

In northern Virginia the phone company (Verizon) bundles everything together and it would be hard to find a package that does not include the US and Canada without a long distance charge. You pay for it though, my phone/Internet/TV bill is $150 per month and we have the minimum several hundred (useless) TV channels.

Folks in south west Virginia often have phone plans that charge long distance rates for calls to northern Virginia. I believe the state requires the phone company to have minimal plans so folks can get access to 911 and make local calls at a low rate. These folks won't make calls to outside numbers.

[CyberCity]

I keep my unlimited long distance land line so that I can have the combination of a flat rate when (1) faxing anywhere, (2) using my speaker phone for conference calls, and (3) not keep getting disconnected mid-sentence on the pathetic cel phone service that I have. My work requires clear communication when doing many of my tasks (and the scratchy, "huh? huh?" cel phone service is just not up to business standards).

[terracore]

We had a land line in Alaska because it was required as part of the DSL internet service bundle. The last few years I don't even think we had a phone hooked up to it. Haven't ever had a land line in Hawaii and don't miss it. I'd rather deal with the occassional hiccup like a dropped call than another monthly bill.

"On Oahu - I bet at least 1/4 of the people with cell phones have non-808 numbers. Certainly military people normally wouldn't change (or don't normally) - with so many military, it would be crazy for businesses to ignore a non-808 number."

Agreed, but this is the Big Island we're talking about. And some of those military families may be calling "non traditional" business numbers, like trying to rent a house or an apartment.