Good post, well done!

With cell phones always in reach, roommates Natalie Kuhn and Lisa Bierman were ready to scrap their home line until they got a deal they couldn't pass up - from their cable company.

"We didn't need a phone line but, when we did the research, we found that it cost less than just having Internet and TV," said Kuhn, 22, who shares an apartment with Bierman in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn. "Our landlord said that Cablevision can get us all three for 99 bucks a month."

With infrastructure in place that can carry phone calls and high-speed Internet service as easily as it transmits TV signals, cable companies are cutting into the market share of traditional phone companies. Cablevision's Triple Play plan, along with similar packages by RCN and Time Warner Cable, offer much better deals than consumers can get buying services individually.

Instead of losing out to cellular technology, phone companies are getting beat at their own game - landlines. A recent JD Power study showed cable companies sweeping telephone companies in customer satisfaction nationwide. Factors in the survey included reliability, performance, cost and customer service.

According to Cablevision, 11% of its new cable TV customers opted for the bundled package of phone, Internet and television in 2004. This year, that number ballooned to more than 60%, confirming the industrywide trend.

"Millions of people have decided to make that switch," said Mark Chinn, vice president of product development at RCN. "I think people like the option of having their phone, Internet and television all on one bill."

That convenience is a selling point for the cable companies, but Bierman, 21, said it's really all about saving money.

"We have loads of bills," she said. "We would never pay more just to get one less bill. We're really happy with it."

Phone companies are struggling to match the versatility of their cable counterparts.

Verizon launched FiOS, its fiber-optic TV service, earlier this year - but the product is not yet available in New York. AT&T's digital satellite TV is not offered in any of the five boroughs, either.

There are some extra considerations and costs to giving your cable provider exclusive rights to wire you to the world. You may have to commit for a year. And like a cordless phone, a blackout will render your phone useless without a battery pack. These batteries can cost up to $45 to install, but are a must if you want to dial 911 with the power off.

Once all the phone equipment is installed, callers receive unlimited nationwide calling plans that resemble that of a cell phone - without charges for extra minutes. Some companies are offering flat rates and discounts for international calling.

As recent college grads who have relied on cell phones for the last four years, Kuhn and Bierman are still studying their long distance plan.

"We thought we'd learn to use the landline and decrease our cell phone costs," Kuhn said. "But that didn't work. We never use that landline."

"But we will," Bierman added. "As soon as we become less dependent on our parents." Brad Mielke'I think people like the option of having their phone, Internet and television all on one bill.'

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