On Sat, 08 Dec 2007 01:21:01 GMT, Short Wave Sportfishing
wrote:

On Fri, 07 Dec 2007 18:17:53 -0600, Vic Smith
wrote:

On Fri, 07 Dec 2007 17:40:26 -0500, wrote:

On Fri, 07 Dec 2007 15:16:32 -0600, Vic Smith
wrote:

On Fri, 07 Dec 2007 15:28:48 -0500, wrote:



Why couldn't you use your cell phone?

Cell sites need power to run, as well. They may have a small UPS, but
that likely won't keep it operational for very long.

I don't know the infrastructures, but when we had a 36 hour
power/cable/cable phone outage a few months ago, the cell was fine.

--Vic

As I pointed out elsewhere, this could be due to something as simple as you
being in range of a cell tower that was in an area that had power.

Not so simple. I did a quick google and found that cell providers
often have emergency generators to maintain service, and then of
course as you said many power outages are local enough that cell
provider isn't even affected.

Ummm....no?

In rural areas, like I live in, the system is generator to battery
backup to...nothing. The max operating time is about 6 hours under
emergency conditions.

I haven't looked into local cell infrastructure, but can only say that
for the 36 hour power outage, the cell worked for the entire period.
The outage was pretty wide, affecting about half a million homes
in my area. I don't know if my cell was generator powered or clear
of the outage, but I didn't hear of widespread cell problems during
the blackout. Maybe there were.

But that's not the issue. The issue is how the calls are distributed
from the cell site to the land system. That's the vunerable point.
The aquisition and distribution. Plus, a lot of the control points
are done wirelessly by satellite - that's all digital. If that system
fails for any number of reasons, you ain't gonna call no where.

From what I read - again, it was cursory - the big issue with
widespread power outages is that the cell service can get overwhelmed
with calls, making getting a connection difficult.

That is a concern becasue media outlets have contracts for blocks of
cell channels which only leave so many left for the rest of us.

OTOH, my Comcast phone was dead, dead, dead.

Heh - proves the point eh what?

Sure does, and I've said I wish I had copper wire, which never
failed all the years I had it. But I live with what I have now, and
the cell proved reliable for the instance I mentioned.
I agree about digital complexity leading to many failure points,
but don't think we'll go back. Just the way the marketplace works.

--Vic