[BC] Vonage (etc) vs copper dial line

[R A Meuser]

That only works if the phone company retains staff to keep the 
generators running. That did not happen in the last blackout and some 
phones in midtown Manhattan did not work up to a week after the power 
came back. You can no longer trust the phone company.




WBRadiolists at aol.com wrote:
> In a message dated 01/26/2008 8:56:10 AM Eastern Standard Time, 
> mrfixit at min.midco.net writes:
> 
> 
>>TELCO still supplies DC from the CO to run phone sets, but most
>> people have electronic phones that quit when the AC drops. I keep
>> a couple "old" phones here for just this reason. 
> 
> 
> This is *exactly* why I will be keeping my copper pair phone line until they 
> pry it from my cold, dead hands. ;)
> 
> Cell phones have proven themselves *useless*, time and again, in widespread 
> emergencies, while in *most* cases, POTS came through. I also have a "power 
> failure phone" which is phone-line powered, right by the bed. There is one at 
> WFIF, also. Anywhere you have an electronic phone system, you should have at 
> LEAST one POTS phone connected (or readily connectable) to an analog line. A good 
> quality UPS on the phone system is a good idea, too. :)
> 
> Willie...