When a area has its power cut, do telecoms still work? I don't know if it does in either Shadowrun or IRL, could someone please enlighten me?

The original telecom network that wired phones use has its own power supply and should remain operational.

However, I don't think anyone uses phones that work without the power grid even today, much less in Shadowrun.

Thank you.

Deckers look up your jackpoint's power rationing times before decking!

There are entire floors full of batteries in a large central office. Plus a bank of big diesel generators. IIRC, they can run for 12 hours on battery, then for days on diesel (forever if they get more fuel).

So the central equipment works, the issue is power to the remote gear. Most companies have UPS that can run the equipment for 10-120 minutes. companies that consider data networking to be more important have a generator or a bank of generators that can run the system for many hours, longer if they can get more fuel.

Cell sites typically have a big battery bank (IIRC, 12 hours runtime), but these days most don't have a generator. They have provision for a truck mounted generator to be connected if needed.

The better home-based cordless telephones can reverse charge the base station from the handset. If the power goes out, you leave the phone on the main base station and it keeps the power going to the phone so all the remote phones still work. The system I have will keep the system operational for up to 18 hours of continuous blackout by swapping the different handsets on to the base station. (Obviously reduced if the phones aren't fully charged or you start talking on them.)

Here's the marketing spiel from Panasonic's website:
POWER BACK-UP OPERATION
What happens to you phone when there’s a power outage? Nothing, with select models featuring Power Back-Up Operations. A powerful battery back-up system keeps you connected when the power goes out. Keep a charged handset in the base unit and you can still make and receive calls with the other cordless handsets.

Some folks use cell-network based home phones these days. Those typically have back up batteries, so they will work for several hours in a blackout, as long as there's a cell tower to connect to. And many cell towers have emergency batteries/generators.




-k

Depends on the system and the place. Telecommunications Systems typically have generator back-ups in case of power outages, but have to work at reduced capacity because they don't get as much wattage out of the generators than they do from the power lines. Also, in emergencies like that, some of the system is designed to be dedicated to Emergency Services (Fire/Paramedics/Police). Combine that with potentially freaking people, and you have an overwhelmed system pretty quick. (BTW: How many people even KNOW the dial tone for "Out Of Circuits, Cannot Start Connection"?)

Some places will have pretty good back-ups in place, while others will have old/beat up generators that may or may not kick on, or even work. So, depends on neighborhood.

In Shadowrun, likely, systems are also in place to allow dedicated company connections for "Premier" Matrix Customers. Make sure you can contact your loved ones no matter the situation for only an extra 25¥/Month (250¥/Month for Company plans that include expanded bandwidth!).

SR4? The mesh network would be largely unaffected by a blackout for some time.

The way I understand the mesh network setup. As long as your commlink has power you can leapfrog the distance to your target as long as there are other powered devices on the mesh in range?

Basically. So long as you're in mutual signal range of other nodes that are in mutual signal range of other nodes and on and on, your connection is basically unchanged.

An implication of the whole mesh approach is that the transmitters are all fairly low power. So a 1 block outage might not be too bad, but if you are in Central Park when all the transmitters on Manhattan shut down your matrix connection is toast without a satcom or having some sort of other spiffy add-on.

I think you misunderstand the mesh. Those "tranmitters"? Commlinks, cars, RFID tags, etc. Cutting the power won't do anything to the mesh because most of the nodes are battery powered, and have ludicrous battery life.

Yeah, you'd have to do something like this.





-k

Depends on your coverage, though. Manhattan, sure, you'll probably be fine. Redmond Barrens, not so much.

In the Barrens, they supposedly use a chain of junk that can run on its own and has wireless to keep active mesh connections.

Hobonet. Hobos with commlinks.

It's a thing.

Or at least it damn well should be.



-k

It is

What do you think NooseNet was during the Chicago Containment Zone?

As others have stated, due to the mesh-style network in SR4 even a city-wide power outage will not cause a major communications blackout. Each device will attempt to route all of its communication through other near-by nodes until they reach the several satellite communication enabled nodes. Those nodes will keep world-wide communication up and running. In a “normal” (read RL) environment based on this setup bandwidth would be greatly reduced due to power constraints, however in Shadowrun with its infinite usage batteries and unlimited bandwidth everywhere this would not be an issue.

At least that is my understanding of the technology as presented in the SR4 universe.

I still wait for the day that i can have a computer half the size of a cell phone that can let me play WoW in SHD virtual reality, make me coffee, and do other things I probably shouldn't mention here

If you want to shut down the telecom (and everything else with a battery), the most effective route would be an EMP. There are small EMP grenades, but WAR introduced nukes. Modifying them to detonate in the stratosphere for a Nuclear EMP. Winternight played games like this, by modifying their nukes for surface level EMPs. That should provide a good level for the amount of resistance or reputation that a group would get for attempting, much less succeeding, at the task.

(I'm using Hollywood physics by the way...)

Oh, if you're going to go that route, just use Die Hard 4.0!

Pretty much.

In the real world, mobile mesh networks are a current research topic, so they really don't have any that scale well. Dozens is where it goes to hell IIRC, the millions of SR seems a long way off.

My space-blimp has a satellite link and suncells.

Don't they all?

Damn straight.