Network goes down during power cuts despite (local) battery backup

[Tony_Jef]

We have full fibre broadband and a Digital Voice landline courtesy of EE, and have installed suitable UPS battery backup units to power essential equipment in the house (the fibre terminal, the EE router, the Digital Home Phone handset...etc.), with the reasonable expectation that even if there is a local power cut we will still be able to use our home phone and broadband. However, after experiencing 3 power cuts now since we had the installation (the most recent a couple of days ago), it is very clear that while our in-house equipment is suitably power-cut proof, the same can not be said of the external fibre network supplying us with broadband service, because in all 3 cuts the broadband instantly went down. I am led to believe that the Openreach network "should" be resilient against power cuts, but this is absolutely not the case with our infrastructure in this location. We're on the Isle of Mull and the fibre network was installed at the back end of last year, so should be up to current spec.

Happily, power cuts here, while fairly frequent, are usually fairly short, but one of the 3 mentioned here lasted 2 days.

The battery backup solutions sold by EE are marketed as a means of maintaining contact for vulnerable people; clearly, if the network itself is failing as soon as the power goes off, this isn't doing what it says on the tin.

[JimM11]

@Tony_Jef The home is covered, as you expect but the owner operator off the fibre back if they decide that the BBU or UPS system control is required to cover the Essential Services that you are not included in then that is it, no comms!

[Weebles2025]

@Tony_Jef While the Isle of Mull is a very beautiful place to live, it does have it's disadvantages and one being you are reliant on where the main fibre cables go in order to connect the Island to the main land, of which I believe the cables run to the various islands and then onto Ardnamurchan which is the interconnect for the main land. If you have power outages covering those areas as well then you might loose your phone/broadband connection. If communications is vital, then maybe look into Satellite broadband/phone for backup. 

[Tony_Jef]

@Weebles2025 @JimM11 I think you are missing the point here. If you look at:

https://www.bt.com/help/landline/digital-voice--will-my-service-work-in-a-power-cut-

I quote:

"Using Digital Voice during a power cut
If there’s a power cut, a Battery Back Up will give you at least an hour of service for essential calls. You need to make sure you've connected your digital handset to your Smart Hub or plugged your existing corded handset into the phone port in the back of your hub."

The only way this can possibly work is if the network itself (external to the property) is powered by some kind of UPS as well as the equiplent within the property. My own experience indicates that the network DOES NOT have UPS.

EE is selling battery backup solutions to allow customers to continue making calls (and use broadband) during a power outage. If their own network isn't resilient against a power outsge, then customers are being misled. 

[JimM11]

@Tony_Jef Something that you are going to have to take up with EE, nothing i have missed!

[Weebles2025]

@Tony_Jef That link does not cover living in a remote area. Having lived up on Uist my self, I can assure you that you never rely on a utilities infrastructure and you always have a backup of your own, especially when it comes to communications and electricity/heating. 

[JimM11]

@Tony_Jef Next time the system goes out and if you do have a mobile, then check if it is still up and operating voice and data, the EE Smart Hybrid unit would then be able to cover your needs to switch you over onto the Mobile network but you do need to have a reasonable 4g signal and sweet talk EE into a reduce payment to get one! Home phone will not work but you will have internet and another method of trying to communicate externally!

[Tony_Jef]

@JimM11 I have an EE mobile, and in the 3 most recent power cuts it has continued to operate on both voice and data. EE provides mobile connectivity for emergency services locally, so that may have a bearing on why it is more resilient than the fibre. So yes, I could pony up another £7/month and use an EE smart hybrid unit, but my point here is why should I have to do that when the EE/BT/Openreach advertising material indicates that they have it covered.

I found this gem the other day:

https://www.openreach.com/help-and-support/damage-health-and-safety/extreme-weather

I quote:

"Check your power: We have backup plans in the event of local power cuts to keep our network running, but you might find it hard to connect if your own power is disrupted."

Also this:

https://www.bt.com/help/landline/digital-voice--will-my-service-work-in-a-power-cut-

The last paragraphs clearly indicate that if your optical terminal and router are backed up using UPS units, "...the Battery Back Up Unit will give you at least an hour of service."

So it seems pretty clear that they do expect their network resilient. It isn't, at least, not here.

[JimM11]

@Tony_Jef There is a couple off things to do, one if you see a local OR Engineer floating about the Island ask if the exchange is running a UPS system to keep the Fibre network up, that is the whole network or just Emergency services, you have covered your home with the BBU so as long as they stay connected you are good, the older BBU that EE had kept the ONT up a good 18Hrs, but the EE Router was closer to 8Hrs off run time, and as you say power off the whole Internet is down, Exchanges have a few methods off keeping power going but that is up to OR how it is all implemented at the exchange side, and if the main Fibre feed is off just will not matter No internet No landline phone! Hybrid does switch over the BB to mobile at a way reduced speed, but landline is not covered, who knows that may change some day!