VoIP vs POTS (was Re: Operation Ghost Click)

Thu May 3 00:25:00 UTC 2012

----- Original Message -----
> From: "Jeroen van Aart" <jeroen at mompl.net>

> I don't doubt it. However my practical experience is such that 100% of
> the time (I lost count after 20 or so, in a decade) I experienced a
> power failure the phone would still work. I am sure I am not the only
> one.

Sure.  (We're not really having this conversation here, are we? :-)

Copper POTS service is centrally powered from a battery plant in the wire
center, which is generally something like -52V nominal at 6000-8000ADC 
continuous.

If you get a tool across those busbars uninsulated, it will flash into
plasma much faster than you can blink; this happened at SPBGFLXA89H in
the... mid to late 80s?  I no longer remember the details, but the guy
couldn't hear for several days, and the *entire* CO -- 30klines of GTD-5
and 100klines of 5E Remote -- was No Dial Tone for at least 12 hours
while they cleaned it up; SPPD and PCSO were stationed on streetcorners
to take emergency reports.

Cheers,
-- jra
-- 
Jay R. Ashworth                  Baylink                       jra at baylink.com
Designer                     The Things I Think                       RFC 2100
Ashworth & Associates     http://baylink.pitas.com         2000 Land Rover DII
St Petersburg FL USA      http://photo.imageinc.us             +1 727 647 1274