How old should a kid have a phone by?

As a teenager, I believe that a kid should be at least 13 before they get a phone in their room. However, if you already have home phone there is really no reason why a kid would need a personal phone for their room, because you already have a home phone that they can use. If your concerned about cell phones, the best age would be when they finish middle school or start high school. If your child is in a lot of after school activities, then a cell phone would be a good thing to have to know where your child is and to be able to communicate with them.