Dumped the phone company: Moved my landline to free Google Voice !
It really worked !!
They SOOO don't like us old-timers doing this, hahahaha 
Here is my story...
First: Why am I taking the time to share this with you fine DU readers ?
I guess it's a case of "pay it forward?" Or maybe I'm just so pleased to finally be free of paying those blood suckers $40/mo for last few decades, that I want to share the good word.
I would not have known I could do this if it wasn't for a kind co-worker sharing the news about Google Voice (GV) and the OBi box.
The down side:
1) Not everyone's landline (LL) can be "ported" to GV (you can quickly find out via a simple web-page "check my number" form at Google and ATT).
2) There is a few small one-time costs involved, recovered in two months.
3) If you lose your internet service, you can't call 911.
4) If you DO want to use the old LL number to call 911, it's a $10/year fee.
5) The "porting" process takes some patience, and persistence - they DON'T like us doing this heh.
The upside:
1) People can text your old LL number, you'll receive it in your gmail (where you can reply directly back to their phone via email-reply).
2) All domestic (US) calls are FREE, unlimited. International calls are cheaper than via the phone company.
3) You can plug in your fax, old answering machine, and phones into the OBi box, and have things just like they were with the phone company.
My mistakes (avoid repeating!):
1) Like a fool, I didn't cogitate upon the ramifications that my phone company account number was my LL phone number... What I SHOULD have done, was simply: Call them up, tell them "I wish keep my other services with you, but port my LL number to another carrier, can you pls update my account number to avoid any disruption of the other services." - They do this all the time, it's a routine request.
2) When I bought my pre-paid "throw-away" cell phone, I should not have filled out the option to port my LL number as part of the purchase (this resulted in a few days of my LL number not working). Make the porting request AFTER you have your new (or reconditioned) throw-away phone.
My costs:
1) $20 one-time fee to Google for the sign-up to GV.
2) $48 for the OBi box (this is optional, as you could just use GV for your phone needs, but my goal was to make the completed process to effectively seem things are just like they were before with the phone company (albeit w/o the monthly fees!).
3) #30 to ATT for the "free" Android smart phone (one month pre-paid services, which I used for only 24 hours).
I will prolly add the $10/year to register my number to support 911 calls.
That's IT !
Everything else for the "porting process" is superbly explained by most kind author of this blog post. Someone whom I do not know, but am quite grateful to
https://www.oldtownhome.com/2015/3/19/How-to-Transfer-Your-Telephone-Land-Line-to-Google-Voice/
Good luck to any who brave the mission !
-Pluvious
= new reply since forum marked as read
GV is free, we still pay for Internet.
We make and receive calls to our old number use like before, just no bill to pay.
The phone is plugged into some speakers in kitchen playing Pandora via wifi
