"Many telephone companies such as Verizon are using remote concentrators which require power. These are installed in curbside cabinets. They have the same problem the cable companies do: If the batteries fail, the equipment doesn't work in a power outage"
Verizon switches in curb boxes will last for a week, the cable pole mount amps will usually last 3 to 4 hours at best, if they remembered to replace the batteries, they have a lot of pole amps without batteries in them, not all cable companies invest in the equipment needed to deliver the bandwith, or even provide a good service, IMO the number one concern is money comming in every month for overpriced services.
A residential phone bill decreased every year from the first day phone services were marketed, then one year after deregulation, the increases started, and it has been a study up slope in charges, they trainned the public well, to accept less for more.
Before dereg, you could get service in days not weeks.
