A discussion about the Telecommunication Industry

When the lights went out across the Northeast in August 2003, there weren’t that many people using VoIP telephone service.  Today’s massive electrical blackout in Florida exposed a major problem with VoIP.  VoIP telephone service requires power.  Traditional telephone service works when the power goes out.  VoIP telephone service runs through a special router that needs power.  (Verizon FiOS service also requires power.) This is especially vital during emergencies, such as power failures.   Alarm lines running over VoIP also fail making houses and businesses without power vulnerable.  Many municipalities require alarms to use traditional cooper lines and not VoIP lines for this very reason.  Uninterrupted power supplies (UPSs) can help, but they usually only last for 15-30 minutes.   Keep this in mind, especially if you don’t have a cell phone or don’t get cell phone reception at home.