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...) -- A host is a host from coast to coast.................wb8foz@nrk.com & no one will talk to a host that's close........[v].(301) 56-LINUX Unless the host (that isn't close).........................pob 1433 is busy, hung or dead....................................20915-1433