[Dido]

I've currently got all of my services--local, regional, and long-distance--with one company, Verizon. I've got their "Freedom Basics" plan, which has unlimited calling on all of the above but none of the frills like Call Waiting or Caller ID. I don't have cell phone service, though I do carry in my car a cell phone for emergency use--it calls 911 for free, and any number if you have a credit card in hand, for outrageous rates like $12 for a 2-minute phone call--but I use that maybe once a year, so it works for me. I used to have a prepaid cell phone but I didn't like how you had to keep buying new cards every couple of months or lose your minutes. I'm kind of curious about VOIP but I know there are startup costs there. Right now my phone bill is about $40-$50/month (Verizon's Freedom's Basic is $35/month but another $10 or so in taxes gets added on, plus I do pay the inside line insurance fee. I live across the country from my family and have lots of friends who live about 50 miles away so I make a lot of use of the long-distance and regional. But $50/month seems just way out of line for basic phone service.

Is it just my imagination or have phone rates been skyrockeiting of late?