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May 2026 · The hidden lock-in

The Triple Play Trap.

Most cable customers stay because they think the Triple Play bundle is a magical deal and they'll lose their phone line if they unbundle. The math says otherwise — and a phone you haven't used in 3 years is the most expensive thing on your bill.

Rick's read: In 22 years installing residential AV, the most common reason I hear for keeping cable is "we have the bundle for the phone." Then I ask "when did you last call from it?" The answer is usually a long pause. The bundle is the lock — not the actual phone.
Quick definition — VoIP: VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) is the modern version of home phone service. Instead of a dedicated copper wire from the phone company (the old "POTS" line — Plain Old Telephone Service), your phone call travels over your home internet connection. The phone in your hand sounds exactly the same. Cell phones, every video call you've ever made, your cable company's "digital voice" phone — all VoIP under the hood. You can keep your existing phone number when you switch, and the FCC requires every VoIP provider to support 911 (called "E911"). Here's how to keep your number safely →

The math — bundle vs unbundled in 2026

A real Xfinity Triple Play in Maryland — promo year vs. after promo:

ServicePromo (months 1-12)Regular (month 13+)
Triple Play (Internet + TV + Phone)$159.99/mo$254.99/mo
+ Equipment rental (3 boxes + modem)$44/mo$44/mo
+ Broadcast TV fee$24.45/mo$24.45/mo
+ Regional sports fee$13.50/mo$13.50/mo
+ State and local taxes (~7%)$16.92/mo$23.66/mo
True monthly cost$258.86$360.60

Now the unbundled stack:

ServiceCost
Xfinity Internet only (300 Mbps, no contract)$50/mo
Ooma Telo VoIP (you keep your number)$5/mo (taxes only)
YouTube TV (replaces cable TV)$82.99/mo
Roku Streaming Stick 4K (one-time)$50 once
Unbundled monthly$137.99

You save ~$120/mo ($1,440/yr) once the promo ends. You save ~$220/mo ($2,640/yr) if you're already paying the post-promo rate.

The honest catch: Internet-only from a cable company costs more than the "bundled internet" price because they shift the margin around. The Xfinity Internet alone might quote at $70-90, but you can negotiate it down to $50-55 by saying "I'm canceling TV and phone — what's my internet-only price?" Press once, get the retention rep, hold your ground.

The landline myth — what actually requires a copper line

The reasons people think they need a landline:

The reasons you actually still need a landline:

If none of those apply to your house, you're free. The $30-50/mo "phone line" on your Triple Play bundle is paying for a service you genuinely do not use.

How to keep your existing phone number when cutting the cord

This is the part everyone worries about — and it's the part the cable company quietly hopes you don't know the answer to. You can keep your phone number. The number you've had for 10, 20, even 30 years is portable by federal law (FCC Local Number Portability, in effect since 2003). The catch is the order of operations — get this wrong and you lose the number permanently. Get it right and the whole transition is painless.

The golden rule in one line: Sign up for VoIP first, port the number while your cable phone is still active, and only cancel cable after the port completes. Never the other way around.

The right order — step by step

  1. Sign up for a VoIP service first. Ooma Telo is the easiest pick — buy the $99-129 device on Amazon, plug it in between your modem and your phone, follow the 10-minute on-screen setup. You'll get a temporary VoIP number to start (don't worry, you won't keep this one).
  2. Request the port — keep your cable phone active. In the Ooma (or Vonage, MagicJack, etc.) account dashboard, choose "port my existing number." You'll need a recent Xfinity/Verizon/Spectrum/Cox bill, your account number on that bill, the account PIN/passcode, and the exact name + service address on the account. Do not cancel your cable phone yet. The port can only happen while the number is still active on the old carrier.
  3. Wait for the port to complete. Typical timeline is 1 to 4 weeks — usually 7-10 business days, sometimes longer if the cable company drags its feet (and they do). The VoIP service will email you when the port is final. Until then, calls still ring on your cable phone.
  4. Verify the new number works on VoIP. Call your cell from the Ooma-connected phone. Call the Ooma phone from your cell. Both should ring on the new VoIP setup. Once that's confirmed — and only then — you're safe to move to the next step.
  5. Now cancel cable TV + phone. Call retention. "I'm canceling TV and phone — what's the internet-only price?" The phone is already off cable (it's on VoIP), so they can't hold the number hostage. Return the equipment. Done.
Critical warning — do not skip this: If you cancel your Xfinity/Comcast/Verizon/Spectrum phone service before the port completes, the number is released back to the carrier's pool. Once that happens, it can be reassigned to someone else within days and there's no recovering it. Always port first, cancel after. If a cable rep tells you "you need to cancel first then we'll port it" — they're either confused or stalling. Don't do it.

Use the wait time to set up streaming — cut the cord in phases

The 1-4 weeks while your number ports is a gift, not a delay. It gives you time to switch over thoughtfully instead of rushing the whole transition at once. Here's the parallel checklist to run while waiting:

Why phased matters: The biggest mistake people make cord-cutting is doing everything in one day — cancel cable, start streaming, port the phone — and then panicking when something doesn't work. Running both setups in parallel for 2-3 weeks costs you nothing extra (cable is already running in the background while you port) and removes every "what if" before it can become a crisis. The wait time is your friend.

VoIP options — cheapest to most-features

Cheapest legitimate

Ooma Telo

$0/mo + ~$5/mo taxes

One-time $99-129 hardware buy on Amazon. Free US calls forever, just pay state taxes. Includes voicemail, caller ID, call waiting. Premier tier ($9.99/mo) adds blocking, virtual numbers, and second line.

Get Ooma Telo on Amazon →
Free if you're OK without a desk phone

Google Voice

$0/mo · personal use

Free US calls + texting through Google's app on your phone, tablet, or computer. Get a new number or port your existing one in (one-time $20 port fee). No physical phone — calls go to your devices.

Sign up →
Legacy budget pick

MagicJack

$39/year

Cheap and simple. $39/yr unlimited US calling. Hardware is $29 one-time. International rates are reasonable. Less reliable than Ooma in our testing — pick this only if budget is the absolute priority.

MagicJack →
Premium / international calling

Vonage

$14.99/mo

Full-featured residential VoIP. Free unlimited US + Canada + Mexico. Premier tier adds unlimited international to 60+ countries for $34.99. Solid for households with overseas family.

Vonage →
Cellular + landline-feel

Community Phone

$39/mo

Routes calls over cellular but uses your existing handset — no internet needed. Best for rural addresses or older relatives who want the familiar phone feel without a copper line. Pricier but works without home internet.

Community Phone →

The quick checklist — everything else

The phone-porting workflow is covered in detail in How to keep your existing phone number. Here's the rest of the unbundle process at a glance:

  1. Phone: port your number to VoIP first — see the full step-by-step above. Do not cancel cable phone before the port completes.
  2. Streaming TV: YouTube TV, Hulu+Live, or whatever the Untangled quiz recommends. Use the free trial during the porting window to confirm it works.
  3. Call cable retention. "I'm canceling TV and phone — what's your internet-only price?" Take the price they offer. Don't accept retention discounts that come with required TV — that's the trap.
  4. Return equipment. Drop set-top boxes and modems at a UPS Store (free Xfinity returns). Get a receipt. Keep it 6 months in case they "lose" the return and try to charge you.
One nuance: If you bundle phone with internet at the discounted rate, sometimes adding Ooma costs more than keeping cable phone for the bundle discount. Run the math on the Bill Audit tool — it accounts for the bundle discount unwinding. If keeping cable phone saves money in your specific bundle, do that and just unplug the phone.

Frequently asked questions

Will I lose my phone number if I drop my cable Triple Play?

No — you keep your number. Phone numbers are portable by federal law since 2003 (FCC Local Number Portability). The right order: sign up for VoIP (Ooma Telo, Vonage, Google Voice) first, request the port through the new provider while your cable phone is still active, wait 1 to 4 weeks (usually 7-10 business days) for the port to complete, then cancel cable. Do NOT cancel cable before the port completes — if the number is released, it can be reassigned to someone else within days and there is no recovering it. Full step-by-step in How to keep your existing phone number.

What is VoIP and is it the same as my cable phone?

VoIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol — the modern version of home phone service that runs over your home internet instead of a dedicated copper phone line (POTS, or Plain Old Telephone Service). Your cable company's home phone is already VoIP under the hood. Cell phones, Zoom, FaceTime — all VoIP. Audio quality on a modern setup is identical to a traditional landline. The FCC requires every VoIP provider to support 911 emergency calling (called E911).

How long does it take to port a phone number to VoIP?

Typically 1 to 4 weeks. Most ports complete in 7 to 10 business days, but cable companies are known to drag their feet, so plan for up to a month. While the port is pending, your number stays active on the cable phone and calls still ring there. Use the wait time to set up your streaming TV in parallel — YouTube TV free trial, Roku stick, test everything — so the full transition is smooth when the port finishes.

Is my landline actually required for anything?

Almost never. Old reasons that used to require a landline but don't anymore: home security (now cellular/IP), medical alert systems (now cellular/LTE), fax machines (rare and replaceable). Real reasons you still need a copper landline: elevators in some jurisdictions (legally required), some commercial alarm panels, very rural homes with bad cell coverage. If none apply, you're free.

Is the Triple Play bundle actually cheaper than buying each piece separately?

For the first 12 months — often yes. After the promo ends — almost never. A typical $159/mo Triple Play after the 12-month promo becomes $230-280/mo. Buying internet-only at $50-80, VoIP at $5-20, and streaming TV at $0-85 lands at $55-185/mo. The gap is real and grows every year.

What's the cheapest VoIP phone service in 2026?

Ooma Telo at $0/mo (you pay only the $4-6/mo in taxes/fees after a $99 one-time hardware purchase) is the cheapest legitimate option. Google Voice is free but requires a smartphone app — no physical phone support. MagicJack at $39/yr is the legacy budget pick. Vonage at $14.99/mo is the premium pick if you need international calling.

Can I keep my internet from the cable company but drop the TV and phone?

Yes — every major cable company offers internet-only plans. Comcast Xfinity Internet starts at ~$30-50/mo, Spectrum at $30-55/mo, Cox at $40-60/mo. The catch: their retention department won't volunteer the internet-only price. Call and say "I'm canceling TV and phone, what's my internet-only price?" — be ready to hear a $20-30 jump from the bundled rate, then negotiate.

Do I still need a landline for 911 in an emergency?

No — VoIP services support 911 (called "E911") and are required by FCC to do so. The key difference: with a landline, the dispatcher automatically gets your address. With VoIP, you must register your service address with the provider during setup. Cell phones use cell-tower triangulation. All work in an emergency.

What if I have a home security system tied to my landline?

Most security companies will migrate you to cellular monitoring for free (or a one-time $50-100 install fee). Call your provider and say "I'm dropping my landline — can you switch me to cellular monitoring?" If they refuse or charge too much, ADT, Ring Alarm, SimpliSafe, and Vivint all offer cellular monitoring at $10-30/mo.

Will VoIP work during a power outage?

No — VoIP requires your home internet to be powered. A traditional copper landline gets power directly from the phone company. Workaround: a $50-100 UPS battery backup on your modem + Ooma will keep VoIP working for 2-4 hours during an outage. For longer outages, your cell phone is the backup.

Run your bill through the audit tool → to see exactly what you're paying for phone + TV inside your bundle.

Last verified: 2026-05-20. Bundle pricing checked against Xfinity, Spectrum, Verizon Fios, and Cox official 2026 rate cards. VoIP pricing checked against Ooma, Vonage, Google Voice, MagicJack, and Community Phone websites. Re-verify quarterly.