Will landline telephones work in a power cut ?

[adam2]

In my view, ALL routers that also provide telephone service should be legally required to have provision for a backup battery that provides at least three hours of normal use. A reduced internet speed on battery power would be acceptable, but both telephone service and internet should be available.
This battery should be of an inexpensive and readily available type, and be USER REPLACEABLE. The simplest approach would probably be a small external battery box that is connected to the router in some fool resistant way. To contain a suitable number of AA cells and designed to accept ANY common type of AA cell.
The router should automatically test the battery daily and display a flashing red "no battery" warning if the battery is missing or discharged.

Subject to the above, I consider it reasonable to make provision and replacement of the battery a customer responsibility if they consider it to be worthwhile.

[cubes]

I wouldn't be surprised if the long-term goal is to remove expensive power backup systems at the exchanges citing that they are no longer needed for emergency calling.

[adam2]

Had two power failures this evening, the first was only for a minute or so. The second was for about an hour, internet service and phone line only worked for the first few minutes.
Of no importance in itself, but rather concerning in case of fire, serious illness, or other emergency.

[Mark]

Storm Arwen: Why power cuts left people unable to phone for help:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cumbria-59564480

PowerSwitch ahead of the curve again....

[adam2]

I think that we have established that MOST UK landline telephones will not work in a power cut, and that those that do work at present, could be migrated at ANY TIME to newer technology that WILL NOT work in a power cut.

Time therefore to consider alternatives.

1) Cellphones give SOME backup, but limited as they are reliant on mains electricity to charge the handsets, and also to power the masts. SOME cellphone masts have battery backup but a lot do not. The batteries have limited run time, if provided at all.

2) A local customer provided UPS to power the router, and the base unit for any cordless handsets. Worth considering but provides only VERY LIMITED protection as you are still reliant on mains power elsewhere on the suppliers network.

3) An Inmarsat satellite phone. These are expensive at between £500 and £1,000 for the handset and are expensive to use at £1 a minute. The best solution if cost is secondary. Extreme reliability, works anywhere that you can see the sky, except in extreme polar regions.

4) Amateur radio equipment, reliable, licence needed, and relies on someone picking up and acting upon your transmission. Needs a back up power supply such as a large 12 volt deep cycle battery.

5) As a last resort, consider the flying of coloured flags or the use of an oil signal lamp at night. Must be pre arranged and can only show a very limited number of signals. Totally EMP proof.

[clv101]

6) Low Earth orbit satellite networks (Starlink), cheaper and dramatically higher performance than Inmarsat and other geostationary networks. Needs local power supply <100W and power to the ground station (can be expected to have long term diesel backup).

[adam2]

Inmarsat satellite telephones have bean around for some years and have a proven track record of working anywhere with a good view of the sky, polar regions excepted. The only drawback is the high cost of both the handset and the calls.

They are standard equipment on board ships and in embassies, and in remote locations.

The starlink system is in my view still rather new and is not yet to be relied upon. Has an "Elon Musk gimmick" feel about it at present.

I confirm that I have no connection with Inmarsat.

[clv101]

I've been following Starlink closely for several years. Gimmick it is not, the technology works really well. It is a dramatically more efficient/effective way to provide reasonable global coverage.

Geostationary solutions offer trivial capacity, so prices will always be high to ration use. Starlink (and others) offer many orders of magnitude more capacity.

[BritDownUnder]

I have heard that the Australian farmers are turning to Starlink and away from a geostationary satellite internet provider.

What happened to the Iridium satellite phone system. Did it go bust?

[RenewableCandy]

The main priority seems to be INFORMING most customers that their telephone wont work in a power cut, rather than making any other arrangements.

https://www.ofcom.org.uk/__data/assets/ ... er-cut.pdf

Hah! They didn't even do that with us. In fact, they didn't even bother to tell us we were 'going digital' - the first I knew about it was trying to ring peple up and finding our landline didn't work (it still had power and dial-tone, just to add to the confusion). Then when I reported it as a fault, no-one thought to ask me 'Er, has your line been switched to digital?' - it took them 3 days to find out what the matter was.
Everyone I talked to insisted on calling it an 'upgrade'.
I swore a lot.
I lodged a complaint.

[Catweazle]

I've been following Starlink closely for several years. Gimmick it is not, the technology works really well. It is a dramatically more efficient/effective way to provide reasonable global coverage.

Absolutely, it's an ambitious and IMHO worthy project.

[adam2]

One of the latest smartphones has limited emergency satellite connectivity. Limited to text messages only. To contact emergency services in case of accident in a place lacking cellphone service. When used thus, the phone reports its exact location.
This service is free for 2 years but may be chargeable thereafter.

If this facility works reliably and becomes more widely available then it sounds useful. Not as good as full two way voice communication via satellite phone but still a lot better than nothing.

[Potemkin Villager]

Semaphore, smoke signals and morse code blasted out on a car horn have the benefit of simplicity and little to go wrong!

[Vortex2]

Satellite services need their base stations to have power.

[adam2]

Satellite services need their base stations to have power.

Yes they do, but the base stations are few in number and can therefore be equipped with elaborate backup supplies. The Inmarsat building in London has very extensive backup arrangements that have never yet failed.