@MisterW wrote:
It should be much better on FTTP , since there's no power needed between premises and the head end/exchange. One presumes that the exchanges are able to provide similar backup for FTTP that is provided for PTSN ?
Obviously that doesnt sort out the backup need for the ONT/Router/Voip at the premises...
Unfortunately the problem is the same with both FTTP and FTTC, as the issue is the backup battery pack in the cabinets. The PSTN (and roadside cabinets it uses) are powered from the exchange, with massive batteries and generator back up (had a trip around an exchange once - massive 50V bus bars carrying hundreds of amps around the place!). The fibre cabinets only have a mains supply, with a relatively small backup battery. If there's a power cut then the cabinets won't stay up for anywhere near as long as the PSTN exchanges and the lines they power.
Having backup power at the consumer end is another (new-ish) requirement that people need to sort out for themselves. Although our DECT phones glitch out during a power cut (because of the couple of seconds it takes for our emergency power to switchover) we don't rely on them, as we have a line powered phone directly plugged in to the incoming line, to ensure the phone works no matter what.
The solution I've adopted for a replacement for the PSTN landline is to power the modem, router, analogue telephone adapter and the new 4G router from a fairly cheap APC uninterruptible power supply, the type sold for home PCs. That provides enough power to keep things going for about an hour or so, but all it really needs to do is hold power up whilst our emergency battery power system switches over, or hold power up in the event that the automatic switchover doesn't work. We have about 22kWh of emergency backup power, so if we eke that out we can last a couple of days with the grid off.
We've only ever had one really long power cut here (Christmas 2013) and after that a lot of the poorest condition cables were replaced, so since then I think the longest we've gone without power has been around 8 or 9 hours (that was earlier this year). Most power cuts seem to only last an hour or two (had three of those here in the past month). What I find hilarious is that we live 12 miles from a fairly large city, yet have a grid supply like a third world country.
