I've used VOIP for years, so I'm aware of the fact that it relies upon steady power. Unfortunately, many Verizon customers are unaware of the difference between plain-old-telephone-server (POTS) and FIOS.
This past weekend, my entire neighborhood lost power for several days, and I heard from several neighbors about how they were surprised to find that their phone no longer worked after the switch to FIOS. FIOS installations come with a battery backup unit (BBU), but beyond that, Verizon should really do a better job of explaining the differences between fiber optics and copper wire.
I'm also disappointed to report how short lived the backup battery is. I have a wireless router that I have on an "el-cheapo" uninterruptible power supply (UPS), and it easily outlasted the FIOS BBU when the power was flickering on and off at the outset of the blackout last Friday night.
I wonder if its possible to add a UPS behind the FIOS equipment so it will remain operational for a longer period of time?
Ultimately, I'd really prefer getting a diesel generator, but there is no place for one of those in the condo I'm renting. I imagine I'd need to own a single family home to run one of those.
