Fios

[Rich]

Here in southern NH I have what was originally Verizion FIOS, but is now FairPoint (whatever they call it, which may be called FAST instead of FIOS).

It works great for phone and internet! But they can't offer TV, and in fact, they will try to get you to sign up for DirectTV for TV service.

Unfortunately I can't get Satelite TV at my home due to the terrain blocking the signals, so I'm stuck with Comcast for TV.

When we were without power for two weeks during some major winter storms in the past, I still had phone and internet (I have a generator at home). But Comcast lost TV.

All of my neighbors that had Comcast phone, internet and TV lost all of their services after a couple of days during those storms (yes, even those with a generator).

But my fiber optic phone and internet continued to work as long as my generator was running. Unfortunately my Comcast went down, so having a generator doesn't help you past the first few days with Comcast..

I sure love the fiber optic (FIOS), features speed and realiability. I sure wish FairPoint could enhance the system to TV too, but I'm guessing they never will.

[brk-lnt]

Originally Posted by Rich

All of my neighbors that had Comcast phone, internet and TV lost all of their services after a couple of days during those storms (yes, even those with a generator).

But you have cellphones, correct? It seems like land lines are becoming relic's, I haven't had one for the last decade. I always forget that people care about phone operability during a storm, we've had reliable cell coverage (verizon) and never really gave it much thought.

[wifi]

Originally Posted by brk-lnt

But you have cellphones, correct? It seems like land lines are becoming relic's, I haven't had one for the last decade. I always forget that people care about phone operability during a storm, we've had reliable cell coverage (verizon) and never really gave it much thought.

We all know that cell phones might work during a storm, but how does your comment help the OP about FIOS? I'd love to keep my relic of a phone line and get FIOS, over the never ending price increases of cable, but I digress (too).

[brk-lnt]

Originally Posted by wifi

We all know that cell phones might work during a storm, but how does your comment help the OP about FIOS? I'd love to keep my relic of a phone line and get FIOS, over the never ending price increases of cable, but I digress (too).

Well, Fios and the lakes region is a short discussion. It's not available, and the economics of it make it unlikely to happen anytime soon.

What I meant by my comment is that I was mildly surprised that phone service availability seems like it should not be much of a deciding factor in things like this these days.

[Lakegeezer]

Originally Posted by brk-lnt

Well, Fios and the lakes region is a short discussion. It's not available, and the economics of it make it unlikely to happen anytime soon.

What I meant by my comment is that I was mildly surprised that phone service availability seems like it should not be much of a deciding factor in things like this these days.

My cell phone doesn't ring half the time due to the week Verizon signal in my home, and then there is the "where is it" and "battery dead" issues that make the cellular option unreliable for me. Since I have Vonage over Internet for $12 bucks a month, it still is very much of my equation to have land-line like phones around the house, and to have a "home" number.

Fairpoint has lots of fiber out to their DSL switches in the field, but brk-int is right when saying the last mile will remain copper in the lakes region for a long time.