chunk73Premium
join:2002-02-22
Fairfield, CT | Why did so many cell towers go down during the storm? Why is it that so many people lost cell phone service during this latest snow storm? I know people with many different carriers that all lost service. Dont these cell towers all have generators? I can understand that a loss of backhaul connectivity could cause problems even if the generators are up and running. It just seems very concerning that so many towers went down. Any thoughts/ideas? |
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 gregamy
join:2003-05-22
Middletown, CT
 ·Comcast
 ·AT&T DSL Service
| Simply put: A/C power. Not too many cell towers have generators, as statistically this kind of event is a long shot (disregard it happened twice within a few months...I think we all need to go to Foxwoods...)
Complain to your carrier, convince them to provide sufficient generator backup to provide minimal service.
GA |
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 DrStrangeTechnically feasiblePremium
join:2001-07-23
West Hartford, CT
kudos:1 | reply to chunk73
In a nutshell:
Because AT&T et al. didn't make adequate preparations for extended power outages at the cell sites. |
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 GrumpyPremium
join:2001-07-28
NW CT
·Comcast
·AT&T Yahoo
| reply to chunk73
I use a Verizon reseller. In this town on 3,300 with one cell tower, my Verizon phone never lost service. My wife's Boost (Sprint) phone lost service for days from the same tower. The tower in question is heavily laden with antennae, so I would imagine there is a great deal of co-location there, if that's the correct way to say it.
I can't imagine a cell tower installation could use that much power - maybe a couple thousand watts tops? My point being it wouldn't require a huge generator to keep the service afloat. Just a guess. |
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 GlennI'D Rather Be SkiingPremium
join:2000-10-05
Wallingford, CT
·Comcast
| reply to chunk73
I'm sure another issue is cell tower location. Example: At Mount Snow they have a tower about a 1/4 way up the mountain. They have a really nice Generac standby installed near the tower. When that thing fires up, I doubt anyone notices.
Track south to the flatlands of Nimby country. The same people who complained about that cell tower in Farmer Brown's old field, would now gripe that the generator makes too much noise.
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I ski at Mount Snow |
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chunk73Premium
join:2002-02-22
Fairfield, CT | reply to gregamy
said by gregamy:Simply put: A/C power. Not too many cell towers have generators, as statistically this kind of event is a long shot (disregard it happened twice within a few months...I think we all need to go to Foxwoods...)
Complain to your carrier, convince them to provide sufficient generator backup to provide minimal service.
GA
Wow, I thought it was mandatory that all cell towers have generators. Didnt realize it wasnt a requirement and that apparently most do not have them. Not good since most people dont have a landline anymore. |
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gregamy
join:2003-05-22
Middletown, CT Reviews:
·Comcast
·AT&T DSL Service
| Nope. They have battery backups to condition and ensure uninterrupted power for short period of outages, and I sincerely doubt that's a legal requirement (no one wants to pay someone to drive out to every tower to replace fried electronics from a brown out).
Cellphones may seem like a requirement for survival these days, but I'd suggest the vast majority of society still sees them as a luxury/convenience item, and can live just fine without them . But if your provider is not giving you the service you require, find another one, there's plenty of options.
GA |
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chunk73Premium
join:2002-02-22
Fairfield, CT | said by gregamy:Nope. They have battery backups to condition and ensure uninterrupted power for short period of outages, and I sincerely doubt that's a legal requirement (no one wants to pay someone to drive out to every tower to replace fried electronics from a brown out).
Cellphones may seem like a requirement for survival these days, but I'd suggest the vast majority of society still sees them as a luxury/convenience item, and can live just fine without them . But if your provider is not giving you the service you require, find another one, there's plenty of options.
GA
I think most people would think of them as a requirement. Nobody has traditional land lines anymore. If they do have a home phone most have a variation of some type of VOIP offering, whether it be through the cable co, vonage, ooma, magicjack, etc. All these have no legal requirements to provide a dialtone during a power outage like a regular land line does. People turn to and expect their cell phones to work during power outages.
It looks like this may become a reality if this bill is passed. »www.wfsb.com/story/15955082/lawm···rintable
I would be ok paying an extra dollar per month on my cell phone bill for this type of peace of mind and security. Of couse this would require them to have proper testing in place. Generators need to be tested at least once per quarter. |
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gregamy
join:2003-05-22
Middletown, CT Reviews:
·Comcast
·AT&T DSL Service
| said by chunk73:All these have no legal requirements to provide a dialtone during a power outage like a regular land line does. Sooo....keep a landline in your house! It costs, what, $15 per month or so? I suggest you probably think your "survival" is worth at least that, no?
It looks like this may become a reality if this bill is passed...I would be ok paying an extra dollar per month on my cell phone bill for this type of peace of mind and security.
If this is important to YOU, then spend the $15 or so for a POTS line (Plain Old Telephone Service). It just doesn't get any cheaper and brick-solid than that. - GA |
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chunk73Premium
join:2002-02-22
Fairfield, CT | said by gregamy:said by chunk73:All these have no legal requirements to provide a dialtone during a power outage like a regular land line does. Sooo....keep a landline in your house! It costs, what, $15 per month or so? I suggest you probably think your "survival" is worth at least that, no? It looks like this may become a reality if this bill is passed...I would be ok paying an extra dollar per month on my cell phone bill for this type of peace of mind and security. You don't REALLY think this legal mandate will be provided at $1/month, do you? Are you don't REALLY think that this will provide the "peace of mind and security" of a landline, do you? If so, then you really don't understand the technology; e.g., how are ya gonna keep that battery-powered device in your hand charged up in a power loss situation...? How are you gonna guarantee that you will get the bandwidth in an emergency situation; ever try to use your phone at a Patriots game or major concert event? What happens if this major disaster scenario is a hurricane that takes down most vertical towers? If this is important to YOU, then spend the $15 or so for a POTS line (Plain Old Telephone Service). It just doesn't get any cheaper and brick-solid than that. - GA Very easy to keep the cell phone chared, either in the car or with one of these. »www.wirelessground.com/solar-bat···ger.html
I would much rather have them invest money in infrastructure to support the cell networks for disaster situations. A landline is great, but it is still reliant upon copper wiring. Based on this last storm even having a land line didnt help many people because so many trees ripped down wires. |
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Reviews:
 ·AT&T U-Verse
| reply to gregamy
said by gregamy:If this is important to YOU, then spend the $15 or so for a POTS line (Plain Old Telephone Service). It just doesn't get any cheaper and brick-solid than that. - GA Branch falls on wires -> no phone. A cellphone will pick any available tower.
During/after Irene I had cell service all the time. POTS failed after few hours, until AT&T brought generators and hooked them to their boxes.
POTS is significantly more than $15. In fact starts at $21 before any taxes and fees (just checked). Add $2 for minimum long distance. Make any call beyond your "local area" and you get reamed with no lube.
And it is only as reliable as the wires are... |
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gregamy
join:2003-05-22
Middletown, CT | reply to chunk73
You guys know that cellular towers connect to the rest of the world via the PSTN (public switched telephone network), right...? |
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GlennI'D Rather Be SkiingPremium
join:2000-10-05
Wallingford, CT Reviews:
·Comcast
| reply to chunk73
The government thinks they're a "requirement": »www.safelinkwireless.com/Safelink/
Not saying I agree with that...but it is what it is.
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I ski at Mount Snow |
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Reviews:
·AT&T U-Verse
| reply to gregamy
said by gregamy:You guys know that cellular towers connect to the rest of the world via the PSTN (public switched telephone network), right...?
PSTN and POTS are completely different things.
PSTN uses from wires and fiber optic to satellites. |
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gregamy
join:2003-05-22
Middletown, CT Reviews:
·Comcast
·AT&T DSL Service
| Trust me, they're not burying their infrastructure through the adjoining neighborhoods to the PTSN, and the sat connections are WELL past the vulnerable areas (you ain't goin' through satellite to get to regional 911...) In the end, cellphone are analogous to wireless connections to the COs, subject to the same risks as the good ole landline.
GA, who loves him some cellphone -- had one with the same number since the early 90's and gives out no other number -- but still pays to have that friendly POTS line in the house...'cause it makes sense. |
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chunk73Premium
join:2002-02-22
Fairfield, CT | reply to chunk73
Why not use microwave backhaul to the CO instead of physical wire based services(t1,t3,fiber, etc)?
»www.dailywireless.org/2010/06/30···ackhaul/ |
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