With both DH and I working in IT, we both have company-paid cell phones because they are required. DH only has his turned on when he is on call. Mine is on all the time, since I can get calls at any time day or night. It came in handy when my Dad was in assisted living, as that was how the facility contacted me. Prior to that I had a cell phone with a basic plan that I rarely used but felt I needed for emergencies, and DH has never had a personal cell phone.

Jill

 I think it's very important to stay in touch at all times, we love to go hiking in the summer and everyone has cheap Tracfone including the kids that we use to stay in contact in case we get separated or someone gets injured. We chose Tracfone because we could buy handsets for less than $10 so it doesn't matter if the phone gets damaged or lost because we can easily afford to replace it. The coverage is better with Tracfone than the other providers and there is no extra charge for roaming or long distance so it doesn't matter where we go on holiday, it always costs the same.

I too think it depends on the situation.

It used to be a luxury for me, no real reason that I needed to have one except for a possibility of a car breakdown or something.

Now with the kids, I consider it a necessity.  If the school needs to reach me, I know they can.  That has happened more than once.  Also, a car breakdown or other emergency out of the house would be a lot more difficult to manage with the kids now-having a cell phone gives a lot of peace of mind.  DH has always needed one for work and it has always either been paid for by the company or cost was reimbursed (until now but that's a different story!).  Anyway, his has been a necessity for a long time.  Mine only since we have had kids.

We got a cell phone after DW had a (minor) accident with the car and would have had great difficulty reaching me if not for the kindness of a stranger with a cell phone. Initially we got one from Verizon but it was a two-year contract at $15/month which was cheap at the time. Later we dropped that and now use two Tracfones for $20 for three months.

We go for weeks at a time without using them but they are convenient to have when needed, and both of us carry them. So for us they are optional, but nice to have.

However, I would say they are a necessity for someone who is out and about a lot, like a real estate agent.