Report: Verizon considering $5/month landline service

The pitch: A bare-bones landline phone plan for just five bucks a month. The catch: No outgoing calls, unless you're dialing 911 or Verizon customer service. Interested?

Reuters reports that Verizon is giving the proposed plan a serious look, along with a $10/month plan that would allow local outgoing calls (similar to a $20-$25 local calling-only service already offered by Verizon).

The idea, of course, is to try and staunch the flow of wireless chatters who've decided to dump their landlines entirely in favor of their cell phones. (Verizon execs are emphasizing that the idea is just "something we're looking at … any of the details could be changed.")

OK, but $5 a month for a landline plan that doesn't let you dial out? Who'd want that? Well ... me, for a couple of reasons:

Number one: Emergency service, especially in the case of a disaster (natural or otherwise). Cell phone service is one of the first things to go when something big goes down; for example, my mobile was useless in Manhattan during the great East Coast blackout of 2004. But my landline still worked—indeed, I was able to check CNN.com for updates using my old backup dial-up account and my iBook (until its battery died, that is). Of course, Verizon's $5/month service wouldn't let you dial out except for 911 and 611, but at least relatives could call to make sure you're OK if (for whatever reason) cell networks in your area go down en masse.

Number two: Got terrible cell reception in your living room (like I do)? Friends, family, and others who complain that they can't hear a word you're saying could call you (or call you back) on the landline, as long as they don't mind calling long distance.

Of course, there are a couple of ways Verizon could screw up the idea …

Number one: By only offering the $5-a-month service bundled with a broadband data plan—and yes, Reuters confirms that Verizon is indeed considering that very scenario.

Number two: By tacking on a potpourri of taxes and surcharges, until suddenly the $5/month charge turns into $10 a month. Unfortunately, anyone who's paid a landline or wireless bill knows that those extra taxes and fees add up—and somehow, there's no avoiding them.

Anyway, what do you think: Would you be interested in a $5/month bare-bones landline plan (assuming it really is just $5 a month)? How about $10/month for local calling only?

Related:
Verizon considers $5 limited service phone plan [Reuters]