sundance-communications.com/forum Forums General General Telephone & Systems Information Help finding reliable phone service

I am the tech for a local FD Dispatch center, we had a problem after the huricane that I never expected.

About 12 hours after the main storm blew thru we lost phone service on 15 POTS lines leaving us with 3 working lines. Some frantic calls to Verizon got our main alarm numbers fowarded to the working lines so at least we could answer calls for assistance.

My investigation at the Demarc found no battery voltage on the 15 lines and dark cards on the t-1's that are delivered via Verizon powered HDSL.

The final outcome and reason for the failure is that the POTS lines are delivered via fiber to a CSV located about 1/4 mile from us. The power had failed and when the 12 hours of battery backup went, so did the phone service and the T-1's

For many years Verizon has been sugjesting that we have our service delivered via T-1, I have resisted this due to the single point failure aspect. A down T-1 could take out all our lines, The service on our existing 3 point to point T-1's has been very poor with down time almost monthly and 12 hour repair times I could not risk our incoming emergency lines to this but now that I find out POTS is not POTS anymore what should I do. I did find out that the 3 lines that did not go down are still on copper back to the CO and never touch the CSV.

OK so the options are.

Verizon said they will move 6 lines out of the CSV and put them back on copper, this is a short turm solution as they have not been maintaining copper so how long can that work.

Go to FIOS, not an answer as the pole mounted nodes require power and have less battery than the CSV does

Cablevision, no for the same reason as FIOS

Lightpath, I do not know anything about it, does anyone know if it needs outside utility power if it does it is in the same class as FIOS. Power from our our side would be no problem as we have a large UPS and redundant generators.

Any other ideas/opinions.

And for the record LIPA restored power in the area of the CSV 6 hours after the lines went dead and at 8 hours Verizon called and said "tested OK" are you sure it's not your equipment. I give up

Your not the only location with this problem see:
https://www.sundance-communications.com/forum/ultimatebb.php?/ubb/get_topic/f/41/t/000175.html

I am just wondering if Verizon has a special assembly provision available for PSAP's where they would put in natural gas gen sets in the remotes to power those card racks or allow the local emergency services to hook in their own generator power by an external socket?

I have seen external pin and sleeve fittings on some the remotes of our LEC but have never seen anything plugged into them so I not sure who has access to it.

ANY alternative means of delivery to the premises via copper always requires some form of field-provided power. The only variable is the matter of where this power is provided, whether at the actual premises or at a local SLC, RT, etc. or FiOS ONT.

Regardless, the days of traditional copper are dwindling. That is a scary thought to me.

I wonder how many banks and 911/emergency services are just chomping at the bit to get their peice of the fun.

Hi,

I provide phone systems on Long Island like Avaya, Comdial, Vertical etc and I hear your pain. The best solution would be Lightpath with copper Verizon as backup. Lightpath would bring Fiber directly to you. As long as you have power/backup Lightpath will work. Had many customers on Lightoath during the storm and they stayed up. I have some people over there I work with so if you want to talk to somebody let me know and I will get you in touch.

Jim Hoey
SST Communications
597 West Monatuk Highway
Lindenurst, NY 11757

631 956 0100