AT&T POTS Voice Lines

AT&T requires our customers to have some kind of AT&T landline.

There is no such requirement in Verizon areas. Verizon customers can order standlone service.

The requirement for a landline is not a technical requirement, it's just something they do to sell more landlines.

The type of line required is a "POTS" line. Pots means "plain old telephone system". This means, no Uverse, no package, no bundle. Just a plain telephone line.

We are not ATT resellers. To get an ATT landline you have to cal them at 800.288.2020.

AT&T Available POTS Plans

Here are the details of what they currently offer in the Los Angeles area as of 3/23/2015.

https://www.att.com/shop/home-phone/landline.html

Basic Telephone Service

Includes unlimited local calls but not much else. Costs $25 a month "plus fees and taxes".

To order this you have to call a special order office at 1-855-837-2483.

You may want to see if you qualify for "Lifeline" service for $6 per month.

Uverse Voice

Do not sign up for Uverse.

AT&T operators get a bonus if they can sell you Uverse. They will try really hard to convince you to buy Uverse and a "bundle" with a term contract.

Uverse voice is a digital voice service, the same thing you would get with Magic Jack or Vonage. This is NOT adequate to meet the requirement for a landline for allowing DSL service. The Cheapest Uverse voice service is $25 per month "plus fees and taxes" for a line with limited minutes. This compares to Magic Jack at $4 per month. But neither one is adequate for DSL service. You need a POTS line and Uverse is not a POTS line.

Lifeline

Many of our customers have found that the cheapest way to get DSL going in AT&T monopoly area, is to sign up for "Lifeline" telephone service. This costs $6 per month. This service is income qualified. Any person has an income below $25,000 or receives Social Security or other assistance should qualify. Student, retired, or unemployed? This may be a good solution.

Just call up AT&T at 1-855-837-2483 and tell them you want "Lifeline" and they will know all about it.

Then call us and give us the number, and we can get you going with DSL.

AT&T Lifeline paperwork is pretty easy. They have a form that is about half a page long which you have to fill out once a year, stating that you qualify. It takes about one minute to fill out. Just talk to AT&T and use the magic word "Lifeline" and they can set you up right away. Customers who are students, retired, etc. always qualifiy without problems as long as they earn less than $25,000. AT&T doesn't check anything and does not require a copy of your taxes.

Comment from Brand X Internet

We do not agree with AT&T's requirement for our customers to buy AT&T landline service. We are not sales agents for AT&T voice services and they are not really our friends. Unfortunately they are a monopoly. So if you want our DSL in AT&T areas you need a POTS line. Landlines are not required for Verizon area customers.