Comcast Digital Voice infrastructure?

[Bill Horne]

Scott Ehrlich wrote:
> My parents currently have RCN for voice, cable, and Internet, and are 
> now re-evaluating who has what and associated costs.  They were at a 
> Comcast service center and called me from their cell phone to have the 
> Comcast customer service person explain to me how their digital 
> service works.  I pushed, verifying their offering was not VOIP, and 
> they confirmed.  I then asked how the infrastructure was designed once 
> the signal left the customer.  The best I got was it goes over coax, 
> Internet services is not needed, the service uses Comcast' own private 
> network, and the customer is given an 8 hour battery in case power 
> goes out.
>
> What more can the list offer for how Comcast' service works?  

It's VoIP: the modem they put in says so on the box. They _might_ be 
using a different RF band and giving totally separate bandwidth to the 
VoIP traffic, but I very much doubt it: my service is terrible, with 
dropouts that last over ten seconds, latency, and inaccurate 
signal/service tones that sound like noise instead of CLASS feature 
signals. It's suitable only for occasional use, only if you have a 
hardline or cell phone for important calls.

> [snip] What do people see if price differences?  How about in 
> comparison to FIOS?
I don't know what FIOS costs, but it's certain to be more reliable and 
higher-quality than CDV. Ma Bell has a lot of experience with ATM, which 
I assume FIOS uses, and they're probably using virtual circuits 
identical to those used in the Central Offices' switching fabric. Of 
course, a POTS line is powered from the CO, and so will always be more 
reliable than a service (cable or FIOS), which requires local power.

>
> For Comcast Digital Voice, can I go out and get a larger-capacity UPS 
> and slap it on Comcast' connection and extend the life beyond 8 hours?
A car battery would provide a couple of days at least, and they're 
cheaper than a UPS. Either way, you'd be more likely to have Internet 
service as well as telephone, since the modem shuts down Internet when 
on battery power. Of course, this assumes that the cable company's 
internet apparatus _has_ power when you don't.
>
> Thanks.
>
> Scott
>
You're welcome.

Bill, who is going back to wire when the promo is over.

-- 
E. William Horne
William Warren Consulting
http://www.william-warren.com/
781-784-7287



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