Grandparents Day 2022: Give them a gift they won’t want to return

Whether you call them Mee-maw and Paw-paw, Abuela and Abuelo or Bibi and Babu, make sure to call them September 11 to wish them a happy Grandparents Day.

Better yet, bring the couple who held your hand when you were a tot a gift that will help make them safe. Ooma Telo LTE with Battery Backup can keep their phone lines open, even if their electricity or internet goes out. But be prepared–you may need to do the hand-holding this time to convince them this is one gift they won’t want to return.

Here are a few things they may say, along with ways to prove this gift is a keeper:

“You spent too much.”

Ooma Telo LTE with Battery Backup costs about $179.99 but remind them it’s impolite to ask the price of a gift. If they want to talk money, point out that their monthly phone should be a lot lower than their current home phone bill. They’ll get unlimited calling throughout the U.S. They will pay $11.99 for wireless internet connection, plus taxes and fees that run around $6 to $9 a month, depending on where they live. Check their taxes and fees with our handy tool.

“We like the phones we already have.”

The good news is they don’t need new phones—they can use the ones they already own. You have to admit, traditional home phones with an earpiece and keypad come in handy when you’re on a call and have to enter a long prescription refill number.

“We don’t have internet” or “Our connection is too slow for an internet phone.”

Service for the Ooma Telo LTE with Battery Backup comes through a nationwide high-speed LTE network. Check the LTE coverage map to be sure your grandparent’s home is in the service area.

“We don’t want to lose our bundle discount.”

It’s true that if they stop bundled phone service from an internet or cable TV provider, they’ll probably be charged more for other services. But chances are good that the money saved by switching their phone service to Ooma will more than make up for that increase. If not, you can teach them how to stream entertainment and local TV channels so they can get rid of their cable TV, too.

“We’ve had this phone number for decades.”

No problem—they can keep their number. Just transfer, or “port,” it from their current phone service provider to Ooma. Learn how to transfer a number.

“We want 911 to work.”

It will. Ooma forwards your grandparents’ address to 911 dispatchers who use an Enhanced 911 system. In this respect, Ooma service is similar to a traditional home phone. If you call 911 from an Ooma home phone, emergency medical service providers and fire fighters on an Enhanced 911 system will see your grandparents’ home address pop up on their display, which may not always be the case with mobile phones. E911 is useful if they’re unable to speak. Just remind your grandparents to update their address if they decide to move.

“We like being able to use our phone if the power goes out.”

Ooma Telo LTE with Battery Backup enables them to use their phone during outages—both electricity and internet. The battery provides an estimated 10 hours of power, which is enough time to report a blackout to their utility provider and let family and friends know about their situation.

“We don’t want tinny or crackling phone calls.”

Ooma Telo’s PureVoice technology automatically monitors how your voice data is transmitted over the internet. If we detect any data is dropped, known as packet loss, we’ll automatically transmit redundant packets so that the transmission remains complete. We also prioritize phone calls so they receive all of the network attention they need to make sure your audio quality is crystal clear.

“We’re not tech-savvy.”

There’s no need to be. Ooma Telo setup is so easy that most people can start making calls in less than 15 minutes. If your grandparents do run into trouble, they can contact Ooma for support or call their techy grandchild with mad internet skills. Doesn’t every family have at least one?

Enjoy Grandparents Day! If you decide to give yours an Ooma Telo LTE with Battery Backup, we hope they think of you fondly every time they use it.