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For long calls where you talk with a friend, for example, for a long time, doesn't the often very poor quality of reception on cellphones bother some of you?
For 5 straight years recently, I would talk with a friend 2 or 3 times per week, and each time was a minimum of 2 hours, sometimes 2.5 hours. (on a landline)
And even for shorter calls where you do not want to be bothered by poor reception?
Last edited by matisse12; 09-21-2017 at 02:30 PM..
The Cell towers will only work as long as they are powered. Most have backup generators to keep them running, but may be limited by the fuel supply, And the ability to resupply them with fuel.
The Landline (Central Office) has the same issue, of needed to re-supply the fuel to the backup generators.
But landline have more of a "power issue" now. Many POTS lines do not go all the way to the central office as a dedicated line, they go to Multiplexers along the path to the CO. Roadside cabinets that take hundreds or thousands of POTS line and multiplex them into a fiber-optic connection, or multi-stream then down some copper lines to the CO in parallel. The Power to the Landline POTS phone come from the Multiplexer cabinet. All will have UPS battery supplies, but few will have backup generators. So when the UPS battery dies, so does the POTS landlines.
What percentage of your readers do you suppose have the slightest idea of what you're talking about in the paragraph I bolded. Technical jargon impresses no one.
For long calls where you talk with a friend, for example, for a long time, doesn't the often very poor quality of reception on cellphones bother some of you?
For 5 years recently, I would talk with a friend 2 or 3 times per week, and each time was a minimum of 2 hours, sometimes 2.5 hours. (on a landline)
And even for shorter calls where you do not want to be bothered by poor reception?
A cheap phone is usually the problem. Sometimes a weak signal. All my friends and family use high end phones. When I call someone they can't tell I'm using my iPhone
Yep and even living in the north Chicago burbs I feel like hanging up half the time someone tries calling and conversing from their cell phone. I use my cell phone only when I am away from home. Note to cell phone people. Just because you can hear me and you can hear you does not mean that you are nothing but a broken up mess on my end.
A side note. I was at a clients house yesterday who's call to me totally dropped out the other day. She was using her cell at home. It seems that Ohare airport changed a flight path and ever since people have been having problems in certain areas according to Verizon. Not sure of the science behind that issue though. Curious.
I wonder if the operators of the airport are purposely jamming the cell signals in order to reduce interference with their ILS.
I've noticed similar issues near some of our Bay Area airports.
The Cell towers will only work as long as they are powered. Most have backup generators to keep them running, but may be limited by the fuel supply, And the ability to resupply them with fuel.
The Landline (Central Office) has the same issue, of needed to re-supply the fuel to the backup generators.
But landline have more of a "power issue" now. Many POTS lines do not go all the way to the central office as a dedicated line, they go to Multiplexers along the path to the CO. Roadside cabinets that take hundreds or thousands of POTS line and multiplex them into a fiber-optic connection, or multi-stream then down some copper lines to the CO in parallel. The Power to the Landline POTS phone come from the Multiplexer cabinet. All will have UPS battery supplies, but few will have backup generators. So when the UPS battery dies, so does the POTS landlines.
I think it really varies. Sure, some places that are very suburban / far flung may not have the classic "-48V DC bus" all the way out to the subscriber drop, and may have some more local arrangement deriving from a cabinet. However many still do have a more reliable set up. Our non wireless land phones work forever during a power outage. Baring nuclear war or some other calamity that takes out the entire network, we're good.
a cheap phone is usually the problem. Sometimes a weak signal. all my friends and family use high end phones. When i call someone they can't tell i'm using my iphone
I used to have a landline for the longest time. I had a cheap $10/month metered service that I loved (OK, with taxes, it was $20/month). Then I moved and ended up with a pay as you go phone and then Skype. I was recently looking to get another landline but what the companies want for landline these days is ridiculous. Plus most of them want to tie it to high speed internet or TV and charge more.
If and when I ever get a new computer, I'll go back to Skype.
Got rid of our Verizon land line last November. The kicker was that Verizon was charging us $10 a month because we weren't making enough long distance calls. Instead, we kept our old landline number (we've had it 33 years), but switched to VOIP with Ooma. Now, instead of paying Verizon well over $40/month total for a decoy phone for all the telemarketers (and the occasional legit call from someone that still has our old number as our contact info), we pay a little over $5/month for Ooma and get our calls online.
I used to have a landline for the longest time. I had a cheap $10/month metered service that I loved (OK, with taxes, it was $20/month). Then I moved and ended up with a pay as you go phone and then Skype. I was recently looking to get another landline but what the companies want for landline these days is ridiculous. Plus most of them want to tie it to high speed internet or TV and charge more.
If and when I ever get a new computer, I'll go back to Skype.
landline is free with xFinity/Comcast triple package of internet and cable TV.
But even if it were not free, I'd still keep it.
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