Comcast outages continue even in areas with PG&E power restored

Mon Oct 14 23:16:50 UTC 2019

On Mon, 14 Oct 2019, Michael Thomas wrote:
> Of course this is a lot of conjecture on my part... be glad to be clued in by 
> folks in know.

An old news story, but telco's usually have backup batteries in their 
outside plant, cell towers, etc.  During power outages, they shuttle small 
generators between outside cabinets to re-charge the batteries. Remote 
Terminal Units (RTUs) use local power, i.e. look for the utility meter 
nearby.  There is often a generator plug and battery cabinet next to the 
RTU. They aren't powered from the central office.

Some cable systems have battery and/or generator backup on their "I-Net" 
cable plant serving government and major businesses, but not on their 
residential cable plant.  I don't know Comcast's business practices.

Old news story:

https://www.multichannel.com/news/att-will-replace-batteries-after-fires-130936
ORIGINAL: JAN 18, 2008

AT&T Will Replace Batteries After Fires

City officials, long critical of the size and placement of powering 
cabinets needed to back up AT&T’s U-verse TV video service, now have 
concerns beyond aesthetics. Sometimes, the cabinets explode.

AT&T acknowledged the problem and said it would replace 17,000 lithium 
batteries in outdoor cabinets around the country.

[...]

The steel cabinets house controls and backup power supplies for the video 
network.

“They’ve been pretty cooperative,” Kesner said of AT&T. “We’re in a 
holding pattern” regarding the video deployment, he said.

[...]