The end of POTS?

[paul-f]

Verizon must really want everyone off POTS.  They've been after me to move to digital voice for several years.  The latest incentive is to add TV for two years for less than I'm paying for no TV and send a gift card.

[twocvbloke]

My mother's phone service went out recently.  Verizon told her that the problem was "unfixable" and that she needed to upgrade to digital. 

If it's unfixable, then she can't go onto their digital service unless they fix it, which means it's fixable, and they're telling a blatant lie to mis-sell her a product that she doesn't need or want on the basis that her analogue setup (which probably just has a dry joint or broken wire somewhere) is permanently broken...

Very devious tactics there...

[Sargeguy]

Two hours after posting this my POTS service just went out.  Coincidence?  I think not!

[Contempra]

Two hours after posting this my POTS service just went out.  Coincidence?  I think not!

Exuse me Greg, but what does mean " POTS " ? sorry for my ignorance ...

[HarrySmith]

Plain Old Telephone Service

[Contempra]

ah thanks

Plain Old Telephone Service

Okay thank you Harry....

[HarrySmith]

You are welcome

I asked the same question a few years ago

[Sargeguy]

Actually,  I get tone from my NID*.  Maybe its time to disconnect the 297G?

*Network Interface Device

[Contempra]

You are welcome

I asked the same question a few years ago

No problem I learned something today 

[old_stuff_hound]

the copper run to the ONT must terminate at some ATA.

As long as I keep the ONT's battery juiced, I should have POTS phone functions, as long as the other side is alive,

Yes, ONT contains the ATA. The OLT (Optical Line Termination -- the other end of the fibre) is either in the CO or in a remote cabinet (in which case, I'd expect its power is somewhat less reliable....)

If I had to guess, I'd guess the other end of your fibre is connected to something very much like this:

[HarrySmith]

Enough with the acronyms already

[old_stuff_hound]

Enough with the acronyms already

Sorry -- they're part of the picture! ;-)

[McHeath]

My mother's phone service went out recently.  Verizon told her that the problem was "unfixable" and that she needed to upgrade to digital.

Genius!  That's brilliant marketing eh, tell people that their old fashioned phone service is now "unfixable" and upsell! 

Had the AT and T tech out last week over some U-Verse problems, loses signal at random moments.  Once you bond a little with the field techs, which seems to happen real fast when they see all the rotary phones hooked up, they will start talking honestly about what is going on.

His comments:

"They ("") aren't going to spend any money maintaining the copper anymore"

"They ("") spend as little as possible on the network"

"They ("") aren't really interested in maintenance"

Now of course this is ones guys opinions, perhaps he's disgruntled. 

[old_stuff_hound]

My mother's phone service went out recently.  Verizon told her that the problem was "unfixable" and that she needed to upgrade to digital. 

Maybe they said "upgrade to wireless"?
http://money.cnn.com/2013/07/22/technology/verizon-wireless-sandy/

Last fall, Superstorm Sandy wiped out landline telephone service for thousands of people. Many of them are never getting those landlines back.
...
On Fire Island, N.Y., off the southern coast of Long Island, Verizon is replacing its copper landlines with a wireless telephone system called Voice Link. The new system consists of a small modem-sized device that plugs into an electrical outlet and a standard telephone jack in your wall at home. That device connects to Verizon's wireless cellular network, which brings phone service and a dial tone to the existing cord or cordless phones in the home. Customers can use it to make calls, and it and offers services like call waiting, caller ID and voice mail.

Not that I consider that an "upgrade" but I could see them trying to spin it that way....

[DavePEI]

Genius!  That's brilliant marketing eh, tell people that their old fashioned phone service is now "unfixable" and upsell!

That sort of thing has been going on for years. Back in 1984, my grandmother's 202 she had had for decades developed a bad cord. Through the years, they had tried unsuccessfully to get her to ditch that phone at every opportunity. This time, they told her they couldn't replace the cord - it was un-fixable, and they gave her a 500 set, breaking her heart. Never mind the truckload of 500 set cords which would have served in a pinch. She truly loved that 202. She passed away one week later.

RIP Nanna!

Dave