Did you know you can suspend your local telephone service?

[dex]

I was getting the lower rate on my Bellsouth DSL service 24.95 to 19.95 and found out you can suspend your local telephone service.
DSL can not be suspended so you keep paying for it.
There is a fee so it is only worthwhile if the suspension is longer than a month.
I have a question into them asking if the DSL service could still access the internet while the local service is suspended. Bellsouth says you need to have a local line to get DSL; or else I wouldn't have local service. Here in Ga. you can suspend the service for 6 months.

If I can suspend my local telephone service and still use the DSL; I'll suspend it and save about $150/year.

 

[Rustic23]

Don't know if this helps, but I was talking to Windstream the other day and ask if I could have DSL without a local phone. The operator said they had a plan in GA that would allow me to pay $6 a month for the line and then DSL for around $30. I don't remember the speed of the DSL. He said it was only available in GA. Something called a 'green line' I may have the name wrong as it was two months ago and I don't live in GA.

 

[megacorp-firee]

On extended travels, I suspended (vacation hold) my telephone line. I was not 'allowed' to suspend the dsl service, so I left it. I came back and re-instated the telephone and used the dsl ... business as usual. Now I am on another extended travel and I suspended my phone again and canceled my dsl (since I will be gone for some time). I will re-instate it when I get back. No problems. I suspect that the phone co. leaves the line live and just disconnects your phone (my friends got a line disconnected message when they called). My good friends had my cell or email address.

 

[dex]

Megacorp-free,
Did you try using your DSL while your phone was on vacation hold?

 

[lucija]

dex - you need the local line to get DSL because they need the local line (i.e., copper) to carry data from your house to the DSL modem. Local line has nothing to do with the phone service itself (dial tone, if any, comes over the same line from the central office and can be switched off via software/manually). Technically, you should be able to use the DSL line without voice (phone) service. HOWEVER, I have no idea what their business practices are... did you know they can sub-let your line to a different phone # while you have it suspended? Yes, that is possible as well, but I am not sure how that would work in your case. I would hope you would have the full use of DSL; it is crazy to require that you pay $x/mo for something you cannot use at all...

 

[megacorp-firee]

Megacorp-free,
Did you try using your DSL while your phone was on vacation hold?

When I got back, the phone was still disconnected (I had to call to get connection back) and the DSL was working. So the answer is yes.

 

[dex]

Thanks