Eliminating my Cell Phone Plan
A few months back, I saw some interesting videos from Naomi Brockwell focused on protecting your privacy in our ever-connected world. One of her recommendations was to eliminate your cell phone plan and simply rely on Wi-Fi instead. So I decided to try it with an extra phone I had available. In the event it did not work, I figured I could always go back to my main cell phone.
The phone I decided to use was a Google Pixel phone. I really dislike Google (after being one of their first users back around 1998) but this particular phone had the potential to run GrapheneOS, which is a privacy and security focused mobile OS with Android app compatibility. That means I could run any typical Android app without sacrificing my privacy. I loaded the OS and was pleasantly surprised at how good it felt when using it.
Next, I needed a phone number. Quite a bit of research led me to VOIP.ms, an internet phone provider. I signed up for an account, loaded $15 into my account, and purchased a new phone number. Their site allows you to configure almost everything you could imagine about your phone number, including caller ID, voicemail, texting, and international calling. I pay by the minute to use this number, but I calculated that if I used this number for a reasonable amount during the month, it would only cost me about $5-$10 in fees. That is considerably less expensive than the $60 I pay to Verizon every month. Here is a referral link if you try them (we both receive a credit). They are not the only VOIP provider, so please shop around.
Because the VOIP.ms phone number would not work with the stock GrapheneOS phone dialer app, I needed to find a softphone app to use instead. I settled on Linphone. It was free, and loads a basic phone interface. I let it run in the background and I find I can make and receive phone calls like normal, but because it uses voice-over-IP for the transmission protocol rather than cellular, it introduces a slight delay. For the most part, this is workable. Would I want to use it for a professional business call? No. Does it work well with family members? Yes. As a bonus, you can set the calls to be encrypted, which is nice.
I connect to Wi-Fi at home and at work, and my phone functions like normal. When I'm in the car or running errands, it appears to others that I don't have a cell phone. I thought this would be problematic, but I find it much more relaxing than I expected. If this concerns you and your significant other has a cell phone with a hotspot plan, you can also connect to their phone when you are out. Also not perfect, but it works.
I consider this experiment to be a success. The cost savings is significant, but it is not without its challenges. If you are short on cash and are not using your phone for critical calls, I would encourage you to experiment and give it a try. If it's not for you, you can always go back to a traditional cell phone plan.