On Fri, 07 Dec 2007 17:14:01 -0500, wrote:

On Fri, 7 Dec 2007 12:36:55 -0800 (PST), wrote:

On Dec 7, 3:28 pm, wrote:
On Fri, 07 Dec 2007 15:05:16 -0500, "Reginald P. Smithers III"





wrote:
Calif Bill wrote:
wrote in message
...
On Dec 6, 7:12 pm, BAR wrote:
JimH wrote:
"Reginald P. Smithers III" wrote in message
news:MZmdnUKGHs4SuMXanZ2dnUVZ_uDinZ2d@comcast .com...
JimH wrote:
The actual phone service is not bad. It all depends on the quality
of
your internet service. When speeds drop in my area (Time Warner
sucks)
then the voice quality degrades to unacceptable.
Vonage needs to improve tech support and stop routing these calls
through
India.
You are correct. I am also concerned that the infringement lawsuit
might
be the death of them, so I am glad others are getting into the VOIP
market
at competitive prices.
Indeed.
I could care less if Vonage goes under as there are plenty of other
options
available.
In the end I could do without any sort of home based phone service and
it
may eventually get to the point with us relying only our cell phones.
Bad move. Keep the land-line for emergencies. It only costs about $10 a
month.

Maybe we are just stuck in our old habits................after all, how
does
the younger generation living on their own survive with *only* a cell
phone?- Hide quoted text -
- Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -
What emergency would a land line handle that a cell phone won't?

When AC power is down. Landline phones run off large battery banks. One of
the reasons that you should have at least one, old fashioned non wireless
phone in the house. If the power goes out, ou can not call for help of
service.

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.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

We was without power for four days in our area because of an ice
storm, which by the way took phone lines out, too, and my cell phone
worked the whole time.

Hasn't anyone ever told you that you can't prove anything with that small of a
sample?

It is entirely possible that from where you were located, there was a reachable
cell site that DIDN'T lose power, so your cell phone continued to work. Not a
situation I would bet my life on. Then again, in a bad ice storm your land lines
might have been brought down too.

Occasionally an ambulance carrying someone with a broken arm or other non-life
threatening problem gets in an accident and the passenger dies. So what?




Another reason to wear a motorcycle helmet.
--
John H

wrote:

Hasn't anyone ever told you that you can't prove anything with that small of a
sample?

How big a sample do you want?

On 9/11, the cell phones were about the only thing working in lower
Manhattan.

-- Charlie

On Fri, 07 Dec 2007 23:20:42 GMT, Short Wave Sportfishing
wrote:



I'm telling you - the whole move to digital is going to lead to a
diaster and a big one.

I won't disagree. Everything's gone to hell since Morse was dropped.
Well, something like that.
And forget about EMP and solar activity.
Me? Wife got me one of those flashlights that you shake to power it.
So I'll be okay. But what about the children?

--Vic

On Fri, 7 Dec 2007 18:46:53 -0500, " JimH" ask wrote:

Let me tell you once again (for the 3rd time).........I could care less if
VOIP dies. Until then, I will spend my $500 annually on more important
things than overpaying MaBell.

And i'll tell you again, for THE THIRD ****ING TIME, that isn't the
issue.

Jesus - how ****ing dense are you?

wrote:
On Fri, 07 Dec 2007 19:29:42 -0500, Charlie wrote:


wrote:


Hasn't anyone ever told you that you can't prove anything with that small of a
sample?

How big a sample do you want?

On 9/11, the cell phones were about the only thing working in lower
Manhattan.

-- Charlie


Excellent non-sequitar, Chaz!



Ya can't teach an idiot.

-- Charlie

On Sat, 08 Dec 2007 01:10:30 GMT, Short Wave Sportfishing
wrote:

On Fri, 7 Dec 2007 18:46:53 -0500, " JimH" ask wrote:

Let me tell you once again (for the 3rd time).........I could care less if
VOIP dies. Until then, I will spend my $500 annually on more important
things than overpaying MaBell.

And i'll tell you again, for THE THIRD ****ING TIME, that isn't the
issue.

Jesus - how ****ing dense are you?

I apologise for my intemperate comments - I can't figure out how to
cancel them.

My sincerest apologies - seriously. :)

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.

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?

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

"John H." wrote in message
...
On Fri, 7 Dec 2007 12:01:17 -0800, "Calif Bill"
wrote:


wrote in message
...
On Dec 6, 7:12 pm, BAR wrote:
JimH wrote:
"Reginald P. Smithers III" wrote in
message
...
JimH wrote:

The actual phone service is not bad. It all depends on the quality
of
your internet service. When speeds drop in my area (Time Warner
sucks)
then the voice quality degrades to unacceptable.

Vonage needs to improve tech support and stop routing these calls
through
India.
You are correct. I am also concerned that the infringement lawsuit
might
be the death of them, so I am glad others are getting into the VOIP
market
at competitive prices.

Indeed.

I could care less if Vonage goes under as there are plenty of other
options
available.

In the end I could do without any sort of home based phone service
and
it
may eventually get to the point with us relying only our cell phones.

Bad move. Keep the land-line for emergencies. It only costs about $10 a
month.



Maybe we are just stuck in our old habits................after all,
how
does
the younger generation living on their own survive with *only* a cell
phone?- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

What emergency would a land line handle that a cell phone won't?

When AC power is down. Landline phones run off large battery banks. One
of
the reasons that you should have at least one, old fashioned non wireless
phone in the house. If the power goes out, ou can not call for help of
service.


Use a cell phone!
--
John H

During some of the fires we have, the cellphone towers get isolated and no
cell. During the earthquakes the cell either goes out or gets overloaded.
And we have several seasons here in California. Mudslide, fire, riot,
earthquake.

On Fri, 7 Dec 2007 18:14:25 -0800, "Calif Bill"
wrote:


"John H." wrote in message
.. .
On Fri, 7 Dec 2007 12:01:17 -0800, "Calif Bill"
wrote:


wrote in message
...
On Dec 6, 7:12 pm, BAR wrote:
JimH wrote:
"Reginald P. Smithers III" wrote in
message
...
JimH wrote:

The actual phone service is not bad. It all depends on the quality
of
your internet service. When speeds drop in my area (Time Warner
sucks)
then the voice quality degrades to unacceptable.

Vonage needs to improve tech support and stop routing these calls
through
India.
You are correct. I am also concerned that the infringement lawsuit
might
be the death of them, so I am glad others are getting into the VOIP
market
at competitive prices.

Indeed.

I could care less if Vonage goes under as there are plenty of other
options
available.

In the end I could do without any sort of home based phone service
and
it
may eventually get to the point with us relying only our cell phones.

Bad move. Keep the land-line for emergencies. It only costs about $10 a
month.



Maybe we are just stuck in our old habits................after all,
how
does
the younger generation living on their own survive with *only* a cell
phone?- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

What emergency would a land line handle that a cell phone won't?

When AC power is down. Landline phones run off large battery banks. One
of
the reasons that you should have at least one, old fashioned non wireless
phone in the house. If the power goes out, ou can not call for help of
service.


Use a cell phone!
--
John H

During some of the fires we have, the cellphone towers get isolated and no
cell. During the earthquakes the cell either goes out or gets overloaded.
And we have several seasons here in California. Mudslide, fire, riot,
earthquake.


Those same things could easily take out a land line.
--
John H