High-tech fibre optic home phone system could go dead in an emergency

Wednesday, 7 August 2019 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

SLT is boasting and aggressively promoting sophisticated landline fibre optic and VoIP telephone systems. But there’s one possible drawback they don’t highlight: losing your phone service during a power outage.

Fibre services will only work as long as the router is powered on. This means without an additional power source you won’t be able to use your fibre service during a power outage

The fibre landline telephone systems generally do not have the same ability as old-fashioned copper lines to maintain service indefinitely when the power goes out. Because the landline is connected via the router which needs electricity for it to function.

That renders the lines useless for calling anyone for emergencies and when the telephone access often is needed most. It is especially needed for the elderly, those who do not have access to a vehicle or other forms of communication.

The main reason for having a landline phone is that in a power failure emergency, the phone should always work. Why change this basic phone design that was in place for over 60 years? The old copper lines that have been the backbone of the nation’s phone system for decades.

Why hasn’t the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC) provided a solution to see that the phone lines work in the event of power outage?

It is true that traditional copper telephone lines can’t handle the large amount of data required for television and high-speed internet services, especially over long distances; but this technology is utterly useless for the normal householder.

We trust that that the TRC will do something to rectify this problem without any delay.

Zulkifli Nazim

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