I know some verizon tech's frequent this board, so hopefully someone knows the answer.

As long as I can remember land line phones worked during power outages, the way it should be.

For the last few years in FFX county it seems this is no longer the case. Everytime there is a power outage I make it a point to test the land line and its been years since I had a dial tone. Is it like this for everyone else?

The only reason why I've kept a land line is because it should work if there was ever a widespread long term power outage, but if thats not the case anymore I'd love to ditch it.

Did verizon et al switch to some kind of digital/VOIP backend for POTS service?
Has anyone else noticed whether they get a dial tone or not during power outages?

If it has been years since you had a dial tone, I suppose you should probably cancel service.

Someguy_ Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I know some verizon tech's frequent this board, so
> hopefully someone knows the answer.
>
> As long as I can remember land line phones worked
> during power outages, the way it should be.
>
> For the last few years in FFX county it seems this
> is no longer the case. Everytime there is a power
> outage I make it a point to test the land line and
> its been years since I had a dial tone. Is it like
> this for everyone else?
>
> The only reason why I've kept a land line is
> because it should work if there was ever a
> widespread long term power outage, but if thats
> not the case anymore I'd love to ditch it.
>
> Did verizon et al switch to some kind of
> digital/VOIP backend for POTS service?
> Has anyone else noticed whether they get a dial
> tone or not during power outages?

Theo problem is probably on your end. Do you use a telephone that requires an electrical outlet? A cordless phone?

Verizon (the land line company) and all cell phone carriers have battery backups and emergency generators that will keep the system running for hours if not days. I know Verizon can keep dial tone for more than 8 hours with the battery back up battery alone at their many central offices. I worked their in the 90s and saw the mammoth battery - it took up a whole room. I can only guess with the advances in battery technology the last 10 years it can only have gotten better. Then again, I know their are also emergency generators that will kick in in the long run.

We have 2 cell phone towers in the neighborhood and I know they both have emergency generators plus a battery. We we had that hurricane come through a while back, the generators kept them running for 24 hours or more but then stopped. Land line phones worked in the immediate area even though power was out for 5 days.

I did not mind the power being out. It was actually fun. What really pissed me off is that I could not make hot coffee in the morning. That was a pisser.

I live in FFX and my phone always works fine when there is an outage. (I do have to plug in an 80's type phone however that doesn't need to be plugged into an AC outlet.)

Hopefully we can all assume that the OP is referring to telco-powered units as opposed to any phone that requires an AC plug-in... if that assumption is wrong OP then there is your problem. You need house power to power stuff that requires house power.

Radiophile,

Yes, this is what I would expect, however, its not the way its been happening the last few years.
(No pgens, I'm not talking cordless phones, just POTS corded phones powered by line voltage.)

I can't remember the last time we had a power outage where the POTS line actually worked.

My guess is that the back end is somehow getting switched from POTS to something else in an "upgrade".

I know providers are doing this in some places, I just want to find out if they are doing it around here because it sure seems like it.

Another clarification, I use this land line everyday, its not like I only test it during power outages.

I, too, have never had a problem,except for that hurricane 3 0r 4 years back.

Check your telco-powerd phone, maybe it got a power surge one time and is jsut broken. Try a new phone.

Wow, this is getting way off track.

My POTS phones work. They are working right now.
They are not powered by an outside source.
They are not going through a VOIP router or any other thingamajing.
Yes, obviously, my cordless phones don't work during an outage.
The telcos twisted pairs come directly into the house and are terminated into the house's cat3.

My suspicion is that verizon is transferring some of the POTS switching to the FIOS infrastructure they are putting in and now old reliable POTS isn't so independent from the grid anymore.

pgens and kot, you guys just aren't trying to read what this guy is writing. your advice bore out that much.

However, he made a poor assumption: he "knows" verizon techs hang out here...they, in fact, do not.

About a year ago I amade a comment abou a FIOS line cross section we cut up and a verizon fiber splicer jumped all over my ass.

Anyway, just pointing out that smething fishy is going on with my pots.
If its been a few years since you've tried your line during a power outage you may want to make a point of it.

Verizon uses "remote concentrators" a lot. I believe that's the correct term. Physically they are about 10 feet long, 5 feet tall, and 2 feet wide. They are usually white, and installed in the utility right-of-way next to the road. I've actually seen the inside of these when Verizon was working on one of them and they're loaded with circuit cards.

These are where your POTS lines are multiplexed onto a faster connection, such as T1s or fiber, which is connected to the central office.

Basically they allow Verizon to avoid running new copper cable back to the central office when demand for additional pairs increases, as when a new development is built.

I wonder if your telephone line is connected to one of these and the batteries in it are bad or not installed.

That's Verizon, former Bell Atlantic that I'm speaking of.

Verizon, former GTE, doesn't use these curbside remote concentrator units (at least in PW County). They actually put the equipment into a building, about 20' x 20' and they're all equipped with generators.

Your telephone is probably the most reliable utility for the reasons mentioned here.

The "power" is provided through the central office. it is -48v dc and has a generator to provide backup in an emergency.

POTS and FiOS are two seperate technologies, as FiOS is Fiber optics right to your house, ZERO copper until it meets your wires.

Without a site visit to verify your line condition, it is anyone's guess as to what is the root of your problem with your traditional, corded telephone not working when the power goes out - it should work, as mine does and always has.

Thank you ... , thats the kind of info I was looking for.
I think you and REston are the only two who understand what I'm asking.

ffxn8v, you are just repeating what I was saying, I understand how POTS systems work.

Mine USED to work and I would have assumed it has and always will work during most outages but as more and more outages go by without service it becomes damn suspicous.
Most people assume there's is still working the same way but I doubt many people test it during outages. With all the infrastructure changes going on in the area and no changes at my place,its a pretty big jump to conclude it must be something on my end.

Anyway, REston is probably right, the lunatic fiber guy probably isn't around anymore so I'll continue my sleuthing elsewhere.

Back to the regularly scheduled "cops - good or bad" threads. ;-)

Verizon was accused of messing up wiring when they were digging for FIOS deployments... I suppose it is also possible they fUx0r3d their own POTS deployment somehow. Who know, but good luck and sorry yours isn't working well.

I'll make another suggestion at the risk of again being called stupid by stidman... is it possible you have any kind of water or moisture leakage into your outside box during bad weather? I know they are closed pretty tight but I guess it is something else to consider.

I think the most likely answer is the batteries are dead at whatever junction my neighborhood's lines goes through. I found several usenet posts where this was the case. Next time I see a vz truck in the neighborhood I'm going to ask them about it.

I believe I was calling your answer "oblivious", not "stupid", pgens.

Both refer to unreasoned thinking... the nuance is certainly different but the intent is the same.

Let me throw in another question here:

Does a cable modem have any chance of staying up during a power outage?
(assuming it was on a ups of course)

Do the neighborhood cable junction boxes have any kind of backup power?

Never mind, google provided.
Yes, the cable lines have backup power, so in the case of my neighborhood VOIP over cable + ups is likely to be more reliable than our phone situation.

Pgens, I am all nuance, all the time. I was deliberately going out of my way not to call you stupid.

Stupid means "lacking intelligence (dull)" whereas oblivious means "lacking information (unaware)".



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/13/2007 08:43AM by RESton Peace.

I'm in ffx county and have a phone from the 1980s in my kitchen; it's the only one in the house that will work during a power outage, but it has on several occasions. I'm in west Springfield.

"Yes, the cable lines have backup power, so in the case of my neighborhood VOIP over cable + ups is likely to be more reliable than our phone situation."

They have backup batteries. Needless to say, batteries do not last forever (this equipment typically uses deep-cycle lead acid batteries). How diligent is the cable company about replacing them on a regular basis, before they fail? Or even replacing them after they've failed?

I've been told by a person who services that equipment (my brother), that they replace them sporadically in some areas, and frequently in others. So it sounds like a crapshoot to depend on it.

.