[NTLUG:Discuss] Resolved, sort of [Was: Re: OT: FiOS auxiliary power for BBU]

[Robert Pearson]

On Thu, Feb 18, 2010 at 12:50 PM, Fred James <fredjame at fredjame.cnc.net> wrote:
> Eric Schnoebelen wrote:
>> Fred James writes:
>> - (4) Reverting from FiOS digital voice (phone) to POTS (coper) voice is
>> - not possible (according to Verizon)
>>
>> Well, that's not entirely correct.. I have FIOS for cable and
>> copper for the phone service.  I ended up having two accounts
>> with Verizon to make that happen.. (they converted my
>> unconverted POTS service to fiber, with out notice, and against
>> explicit instructions when I upgraded to HD on the tv side a
>> year or so ago.. they fixed it all for free. )
>>
>> --
>> Eric Schnoebelen              eric at cirr.com           http://www.cirr.com
>>           Where am I, and what am I doing in this handbasket?
>>
> Eric Schnoebelen
> I believe that to be true ... but ...
>    (a) in my neighborhood at least, the electric, POTS, and cable, all
> run on the same pole.  Last summer when a transformer burst into flames
> (made the pole look like roman candle) I was one of the few that still
> had telephone service to be able to call 911.  Of course, after 8 hours
> I didn't have phone either, but once the power was back on so was my
> phone - others had to wait days.
>    (b) unless some monumental force changes their direction, Verizon is
> moving away from copper and the need to supply power to all those
> phones.  So at some point, probably no more copper anyway?

One future "no copper" currently offered is from Clear <clear.com>.
All the major players offer some form of the "Wireless/VoIP"
connectivity like Clear. It is not their only means of survival. They
have their traditional offerings to pay the bills with until
Wireless/VoIP becomes accepted in the marketplace. Right now price is
the single determining factor. For someone like Eric it is bandwidth
and price.

You have to ask yourself, "In the case of a major outage, how
important is it for me to be able to communicate with the few other
people in the local/regional/world areas who would have similar UPS
setups like me?". Ham radio operators consider this essential.

> ... for whatever that may be worth.  At some point one has to wonder at
> the complexity of our solution to the simplicity of our problem.  Or
> then again, maybe not?
> Regards
> Fred James
>