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I could. Or I can keep my landline that is not dependent on the power from the Circuit Breaker panel in the house and just use the cell phone if I need to when there is a signal.
When I had a regular cellphone, it was $75+ per month for the cell and another $35 for the landline. Now the Cell is prepaid so we only pay when we use it, so we are saving at least $70 per month.
Another advantage of the landline is my wife and I can both get on and talk when we are talking with the kids. It avoids having to try to do a "conference" call to talk to the grandson on the phone.
You're describing a totally different use case here. We have multiple lines already through cell carriers. Adding a land line just increases cost by another $50+ month when you factor in the taxes and unlimited long distance calling.
Landlines are expensive. For power outages they are useful if you have a rotary phone, but how often does power go out and you need to make calls?
For one years worth of the cost of a land line over VOIP, you can buy a nice generator that will power your VOIP and other things too.
Well, seeing as how I have already had a triple bypass, $35 a month to keep a landline that I can depend on is well worth it. And you don't have to have a rotary phone, just one that doesn't require a power cord.
For power outages they are useful if you have a rotary phone,
You don't need a rotary phone, the phone we have works without power but you lose all the fancy features like caller ID. The previous one we had used batteries and everything still worked but for the few hours there is no power the batteries are more hassle than it's worth.
Landlines are expensive. For power outages they are useful if you have a rotary phone, but how often does power go out and you need to make calls?
For one years worth of the cost of a land line over VOIP, you can buy a nice generator that will power your VOIP and other things too.
Here's the problem with all the digital stuff and cell phones: when the power goes out you lose the cable usually. Then where are you?
With cells the problem is something no one thinks of past electricity: system overload. When we have a weather event here I can guarantee people are calling each other with important conversation that goes something like this:
"Hey ___________ it' still raining."
"Here too"
"Yeah, a lot"
"Well talk to you later"
Two minutes later the same people repeat the same conversation. Multiply that by about 100,000 and your tower goes down.
That's why after 9/11 the Feds instituted the Government Emergency Telecommunications System (GETS). Authorized officials get a super secret code which allows them to get on the cell carrier and basically knock people off in order to communicate with other officials like Emergency Management, first responders, etc.
Just in case anyone's wondering why I get cranky about this, I have multiple certifications in emergency/crisis response through FEMA and serve on a MD advisory committee for emergency planning
Here's the problem with all the digital stuff and cell phones: when the power goes out you lose the cable usually. Then where are you?
I have yet to lose the cable connectivity during a power outage, it's a new house (at least to me) here and the power has gone out about 10 times since we moved here about 3 years ago.
What you lose is the devices that require power hence the reason you want modem/VOIP with a battery backup.
Normal power outages with no real dan mage to lines or poles are not wehy I rely on ceelphone from experience. i have seen landlines and cable out for a week until elctricity is restore form that. The elctric compnaies always make rpris first before they even start for safety reasons. Cellphone tower seem to survive much bbetter and evn Rita 130mph winds didm't knock service out.The towers all have bettery backup and we have talked to friends in mnay areas to check o them during storms when only cell service was available.
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Grandpa!! Oh Grandpa!! Mommy doesn't know. She said to ask you. What's a rotary phone? 
