[33220] in North American Network Operators' Group
Re: SLC power failures
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Fletcher E Kittredge)
Thu Jan 4 08:09:59 2001
Message-Id: <200101041307.f04D7lU27547@sss1.gwi.net>
To: wb8foz@nrk.com
Cc: nanog@merit.edu (nanog list)
Reply-To: nanog@merit.edu (nanog list)
In-reply-to: Your message of "Wed, 03 Jan 2001 22:52:21 EST."
<200101040352.WAA03948@sigma.nrk.com>
Date: Thu, 04 Jan 2001 08:07:38 -0500
From: Fletcher E Kittredge <fkittred@sss1.gwi.net>
Errors-To: owner-nanog-outgoing@merit.edu
On Wed, 3 Jan 2001 22:52:21 -0500 (EST) David Lesher wrote:
>
> Unnamed Administration sources reported that Sean Donelan said:
> >
> >
> > As power is being restored throughout the midwestern part of the US,
> > one interesting feature showed up. A lot of telephone companies are
> > using Subcriber Loop Carriers (SLCs) to provide service. Some phone
> > companies are using local power sources with limited battery backup
> > for some SLCs. With the extended power outages, central offices with
> > generators maintained service; however, the remote equipment didn't
> > have local generators. This resulted in people losing their local
> > loops and telephone service as the power outages lasted for days.
>
> Yep... The theory is, the RBOC has portable generators to deploy
> as needed. There's a male plug on each to receive same. That
> works fine for local failures (truck hits power line..). But
> in a widespread debacle, say Hurricane Andrew, earthquake, ice
> storm, etc... they have nowhere near enough, nor can they get
> them deployed fast enough if they did.
>
> ("re: Some" above; I've never seen a generator installation at
> a SLC...)
They were deployed in Maine after a large ice storm a few years back.
I am not sure if they were deployed by BA, or just by the independent
telephone companies. A major drawback was found; they were stolen
with great frequency. After a major natural disaster, there is a a
society-wide shortage of generators. Some scum just cut the securing
chains, or shot out the locks, or ...
regards,
fletcher
