Frontier Home Phone Review 2024: Plans, Pricing & More

Frontier home phone is a voice over internet protocol landline (VoIP) service. It costs $10 a month and is only accessible as an add-on to Frontier’s internet products. Read this guide to find more details.

Despite seeming like a joke, landline services are essential in some circumstances. This belief led me to search for a plan that offers the most value. I’ve compiled a bunch of information on Frontier’s plan.

To determine whether their plan offers any value, I’ll cover the following:

To determine whether their plan offers any value, I’ll cover the following:

• Advantages & disadvantages
• Pricing, features, & add-ons
• International calling rates
• Why you will want a landline service
• How to use your own phone with Frontier voice
• Frontier residential internet plans, pricing, & features
• Coverage
• How to set up Frontier landline
• Reaching customer support
• Bundles

Ready?

Frontier Home Phone Pros & Cons

Wins and losses for Frontier’s landline VoIP services are as follows:

Pros:

• Uses fiber optic internet: means it’s more reliable
• Customer service is available 24/7

Cons:

• Not ideal for bundling
• Vague information on its features

Frontier VoIP Pricing & Features

Frontier Home Phone is a voice over internet protocol (VoIP) calling service. It’s only accessible as an add-on with their fiber internet plans. It’s $10 a month when adding it to the Fiber 1 Gig or Fiber 500 internet plans.

The Fiber 2 Gig plan includes their phone service free.

What is a VoIP?

Instead of using copper cables to relay telephone signals, it uses the internet. In this case, Frontier’s phone services will use fiber optic cables to send and receive your calls.

You’ll need to bring your own phone to Frontier. Their home phone plan doesn’t include one.

Let’s check out all the features you’ll get.

Frontier Landline Features

Features Frontier’s voice services includes are as follows [1]:

Calling Feature	Description
Anonymous Call Rejection	Reject unknown callers
Back-Up Number	Reroutes calls to a back-up number when you’re out of service
Robocall Blocking	Blocks some scam callers
Call Forwarding	Forward calls to a different number
Call Logs	Display recent calls
Call Notification	Displays information about the caller
Call Return	Dial the most recent incoming number
Call Waiting W/ Caller ID	Plays a tone when an incoming call is waiting
Caller ID Name And Number	Displays caller’s number
Do Not Disturb	Blocks all incoming calls & gives caller a “busy” signal
Incoming Call Block	Block incoming calls
International Call Block	Blocks calls from international phone numbers
Locate Me	Will attempt to call 4 of your different phone numbers simultaneously
Multiple Individual Mailboxes	Multiple voicemail inboxes
Speed Dial	Create shortcuts for certain numbers
Three-Way Calling	Add a third person to your conversation
Voicemail	Store up to 20 voicemail messages (<3 min. long) for up to 30 days
Voicemail Notification	Reminds you of stored voicemails

Manage these features through your MyFrontier app. Upon opening the app, navigate to the “My Plans” section and tap your phone plan.

I found an important resource if you get a Frontier home phone plan. It’ll show you how to manage all your features. I recommend bookmarking this page to use it as a reference.

Battery Backup Unit

Battery backup units (BBU) allow you to make 911 calls during a power outage. And they provide your modem or ONT with power.

Frontier requires you to buy battery backup units through a third-party provider. Costs for fiber optic internet backup units will cost $39.99. DSL customers must buy a third-party BBU to support Frontier network gateways.

They recommend the Belkin Battery Backup Unit [2]. I’ve seen these at Walmart for $65. But I couldn’t find them on Amazon.

Research suggests the Belkin BBU may not support many devices [3].

Extra batteries for more prolonged outages will cost $149.95 per pack [4]. That’s from a provider Frontier recommends. Further research may lead you to a more cost-effective solution.

Despite the extra costs, battery backup units are critical for powering landline phones. Otherwise, you’ll cut a lot of flexibility and protection your home phone offers. During events like power outages.

Let’s cover another expense.

Frontier Landline International Rates

When calling landlines from the U.S., you’ll need to pay between $0.08 and $4.00 per minute [5]. Terminating calls with international mobile lines will cost between $0.17 and $1.25 a minute.

These rates will vary by country. The link I provided shows the country and mobile dial codes you’ll need to enter before your call. I’d love to enter them here.

But we don’t have time for that. I need to tell you why having a landline phone in today’s time isn’t ridiculous.

Why a Landline Phone Is Still Necessary

Here are some arguments that support why a landline is necessary nowadays:

• Backup batteries will keep your phone working during power outages
• 911 can trace calls to your home’s address
• Better reception: will enable you to make calls when your cellphone has spotty reception

It’s essential to have the means to provide 911 with your address quickly. Likely in an emergency, you won’t have enough time to provide your address to an operator. A landline will give the operator your exact location.

Instead of triangulating it when calling from a mobile phone.

Despite exceptional mobile coverage, home phones still have a use in today’s time. They give you a means to contact emergency services reliably during emergencies.

If you have the extra $10 a month, landline services can offer more reliability if forced to call 911. They’re unnecessary if you’re in an area with excellent mobile coverage and have the means to present operators with your address.

I never thought I’d see myself promoting landline services. But it has uses.

If I’ve convinced you, learn how to use your own phone.

Using Your Own Modem with Frontier Home Phone

Frontier’s fiber to the premises plan comes with a router and doesn’t charge a rental fee. Their digital service line (DSL) plans include a network gateway and cost $10 monthly.

It’s much easier to find a router for Frontier fiber optic plans. We have a list of suggestions in a separate guide. Getting your own router for Frontier Fiber won’t save you money.

But it’ll come with benefits like:

• More features tailored to your needs
• You’ll have a device to take to a new internet provider
• No need to worry about returning equipment later

Frontier Fiber plans don’t require modems or network gateways. As being 100% fiber internet, they’ll use Optical Network Terminals. Think of these like fiber modems.

DSL doesn’t have such a luxury. It’ll become the bane of your existence to find a modem or gateway. Since Frontier provides no information.

Here are modem/router combos and modems I’ve found that work with Frontier DSL:

Device	Device Type	Max. Supported Download Speed
Netgear 7550 DSL Modem/router Combo Wireless ADSL+	Gateway	24 Mbps
Actiontec GT701D	Modem	24 Mbps
NETGEAR AC1600	Gateway	52 Mbps
Netgear DGND3700 N600 Dual-Band ADSL2+ Modem	Modem	300 Mbps

When shopping for a router, ensure you ask Frontier whether “X” modem will work. Call 833-970-2478 and tell them about the routers you have your sights on.

Now that you know more about finding a router, check out their internet plans.

Frontier Home Internet Plans

Here are all the residential internet plans Frontier offers:

Bundle	Max. Speeds	* Starting Price	Best For
Fiber 500	500 Mbps	$39.99/mo.	Online gaming
Fiber 1 Gig	1,000 Mbps	$75.99/mo.	Remote work & freelancing
Fiber 2 Gig	2,000 Mbps	$149.99/mo.	Home server management
Internet	6.0 Mbps	$28/mo.	Browsing Google
Preferred internet	12–25 Mbps	$35/mo.	Streaming 720p HD video
Premium Internet	45 Mbps	$45/mo.	Streaming 1080p video

* Includes discount for enabling Auto Pay. Actual internet speed will vary by connectivity method (e.g., Wi-Fi vs. Ethernet) among other factors.

None of Frontier’s fiber internet plans force a contract on you. Nor do they enforce hard data caps. The latter statement means you’ll have no restrictions on internet data you use at home.

All of Frontier’s fiber plans have symmetric speeds. Meaning equal download and upload speed. Thus, it’s an internet plan I can recommend for livestreamers and remote workers.

As it makes uploading files quicker. A helpful perk for sending clients files quickly. Let’s make a quick comparison. Xfinity’s Blast! plan provides 20 Mbps upload speeds (600 Mbps download).

It’ll take 5 hours on Xfinity’s plan to upload an hour-long 4K UHD video [6]. Frontier’s plan will take 12 minutes.

Don’t get 1 Gig unless your household frequently downloads and uploads massive files. For instance, those who frequently download online games will benefit from this plan.

2 Gig is only helpful for households that manage home media servers. Or small business owners who frequently back up cloud servers.

I don’t have much praise for their DSL plans. You pay $10 monthly for an equipment rental. Which brings it near the same price as their fiber packages.

You also get slower speeds and less availability. But if you’re pinching pennies, they’re good plans to choose. 12–45 Mbps download speeds are enough to stream 1080p FHD videos on 2–8 devices simultaneously.

6.0 Mbps can handle a single person watching 1080p FHD. Or 8 devices watching 720p HD.

Before readying your wallet, check whether Frontier’s available in your area.

Frontier Home Phone Coverage

States where Frontier offers their home phone, DSL, and fiber internet products include:

Alabama	Arizona	California	Connecticut
Florida	Georgia	Illinois	Indiana
Iowa	Michigan	Minnesota	Mississippi
Nebraska	Nevada	New Mexico	New York
North Carolina	Ohio	Pennsylvania	South Carolina
Tennessee	Texas	Utah	West Virginia
Wisconsin

Not every city and county will support Frontier’s home phone services. Type frontier.com/shop/phone into your browser’s address bar and give Frontier your home address. They’ll then let you know whether your ZIP code supports their services.

If it does, then move forward with your purchase.

How to Set up Frontier Landline

Follow these steps to set up your home phone with Frontier:

1. Dial “*100”
2. Upon hearing a greeting, press “*”
3. Enter your home phone number, then press “*” again.
4. Enter your PIN, then press “#”

Don’t enter the wrong pin 3 or more times. Otherwise, Frontier will disable your account. If you get it wrong the first 2 attempts, call Frontier’s customer service at 888-981-8176.

Tell them you forgot your PIN.

How to Set up Voicemail with Frontier Home Phone

Here’s how to set up Frontier home phone voicemail:

1. Dial “*100”
2. * Enter your passcode, then press “#”
3. Follow the voice prompts

* Frontier provided your passcode when signing up for their service. Contact their customer service if you forgot your code.

Don’t interrupt your voicemail setup process by exiting. Otherwise, you must repeat the above steps.

Here’s how to navigate Frontier’s voicemail settings [7]:

You’ll need an internet plan to access all this goodness. Keep reading to see them.

Ways to Reach Frontier Communication Customer Support

New customers should call 833-970-2478 to reach Frontier’s sale’s department. Call them for questions or if you want to order their landline service.

Sales is available during the following times (Eastern Time Zone):

• Monday–Friday: 8 am–10 pm
• Saturday: 8 am–9 pm
• Sunday: 9 am–9 pm

For Frontier home phone customer service and technical support, call 888-981-8176.

Does Frontier offer any bundles with their landline service?

Frontier Home Phone Bundles

Check out the “bundles” Frontier offers for their home phone services:

Bundle	* Starting Price	Channels	Max. Internet Speed	Best For
Fiber 500 + Phone	$49.99/mo.	0	500/500 Mbps	Landline owners
Fiber 1 Gig + Phone	$84.99/mo.	0	1,000/1,000 Mbps	Landline owners
Fiber 500 + YouTube TV + Phone	$104.98/mo.	100+	500/500 Mbps	Households with 3 or fewer people
Fiber 1 Gig + DirecTV Stream + Phone	$129.98/mo.	100+	1,000/1,000 Mbps	Households with 4 or more people

 * Includes discount for enabling Auto Pay. Actual internet speed will vary by connectivity method (e.g., Wi-Fi vs. Ethernet), among other factors.

To be honest:

Frontier doesn’t have any “bundles.” You must order one of their internet plans to access their phone service. At that point, they’ll give you $120 off YouTube TV Base Package or DirecTV Stream Choice package for 1 year.

Both TV services are live television streaming platforms. They use the internet to stream live channels. I cover these services more in-depth in a separate guide.

Adding these plans to your fiber internet plan adds another $10 monthly. I couldn’t find any information on adding landlines to DSL packages.

I’d imagine it’s identical.

FAQs: Frontier Home Phone

Read on to find commonly asked questions about Frontier’s voice service.

Wrapping Up

Home phone services give those in areas with spotty cellular coverage a more reliable means to contact emergency services. They also help 911 operators locate you easier thanks to GPS.

Frontier charges $10 monthly for their home phone service and includes many features. Yet they’re only accessible when using one of their internet plans.

Learn more about all Frontier’s products. Decide whether they’re a provider worth letting into your home.