[NA]Landline texting[NA]

Let'sgoflying!

Let'sgoflying!

Touchdown! Greaser!
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Feb 23, 2005
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west Texas
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Dave Taylor
I just thought of another form of modern communication that I need (the 6 or 8 we already have is not enough :D )
Is there any way to text to a landline such that an automated voice reads it?
And, the reverse - jabbing out an sms onto a landline keypad so that it goes to its destination device like a text.
 
Some landline phone companies convert incoming text messages to voice so the recipient can hear the text. The service is called, interestingly enough, text-to-voice.

I don't think there's a way to do the opposite, nor do I think it would make much sense. I mean, you're standing there at the phone. Isn't it just as easy to call the person?

Rich
 
I don't think there's a way to do the opposite, nor do I think it would make much sense. I mean, you're standing there at the phone. Isn't it just as easy to call the person?
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Thanks Rich,
There are a couple instances where this would be useful.
The biggest one is because I live in an area with incomplete cell coverage, sometimes we cannot complete a voice call (landline to cell in this instance) but there is enough signal power or whatever to get a text out. (Not often I don't have a cell phone to send that text but sometimes we don't or the battery is dead.)
The other instance would be when I don't want to get tied up in an unnecessarily long conversation (with certain people) but need to tell them something. :)
 
Dave, have you got Internet? Use an SMS provider. Google Voice has free texting. From a web page or app on your phone.
 
Dave, have you got Internet?
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Yes, on the laptop, iphone and ipad (wifi only).
Use an SMS provider.
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My iphone does permit sms texting, I use it constantly.
Google Voice has free texting.
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Didn't know, thanks. So I could use my laptop, ipad (with wifi), and iphone to text. I can already text from the laptop using my email browser.

However, I was asking about landline texting. Just something I had not seen yet and someone asked me about. Could be occasionally handy.
Thanks.
 
Dave, I see I provided a solution, but didn't answer your question.

I'm surprised - this is actually already available:
http://cellphones.about.com/od/frequentlyaskedquestions/qt/texttolandline.htm

Not sure about that source, but sounds about right. I imagine it is a telephone company / carrier feature.

I know some VoIP companies have SMS options so that makes sense. If your "land line" were VoIP (with a company that supported SMS) it would probably be an easy to to get SMS on your "land line" if your local telephone company didn't have that option.
 
Let'sgoflying! said:
I just thought of another form of modern communication that I need (the 6 or 8 we already have is not enough :D )

Is there any way to text to a landline such that an automated voice reads it?

And, the reverse - jabbing out an sms onto a landline keypad so that it goes to its destination device like a text.
Click to expand...


Twillio has an API that'll make the phone calls and read the text.
 
I know someone that keeps a landline simply so grandma can call. G. could probably never get onto the idea of dialing a new number to reach grandchild!
 
denverpilot said:
That's interesting. And rare nowadays. Texas thing?
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Don't think so. Around here, AT&T is trying very hard to do away with DSL (so described) in favor of uverse (which I believe still relies upon DSL technology for transport anyway), and to talk with them, you'd think it was impossible to get internet without eleventy-million channels of tv. They are also trying very hard to migrate people away from standard POTS to uverse VOIP.

Of course, the real bottom-line is that the various carriers try very hard to make internet-only so obscure that many don't even know it is available.
 
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