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Our internet and phone line has suddenly stopped. Just wondering if anyone else is having same problems or knows if there's issues in local area? Trying to get through to Sky customer services at the moment...long wait. Jyst got through apparently massive outage in the southeast exchange affecting as far out as nine elms and vauxhall!

Virgin is cable and Sky/BT are phone services anyway...aren't they?


In origin Virgin (actually NTL/Telewest originally, before re-branding) were a cable TV service using (originally) coaxial distribution (optimised one-way). Over time they have used their networks (much enhanced) to distribute voice and data services additionally.


BT delivered locally, for itself and later others, voice and then data services, initially over its copper twisted pair telephone network (using technology to boost the signal) and then over fibre. In fact modern domestic voice and data networks, even when still terminating over a copper pair in the household, can take diverse routes through BT's networks, with data and voice terminating on different equipment in the exchanges. In addition voice can be packetised and carried over data lines (VoIP). What this means for BT services is that data and voice often quite quickly separate in the network away from the premises - so that you can at times lose one whilst still retaining the other when parts of the network are compromised (theft of cable, breakage of cable). And of course things can go wrong with the bits of kit in the exchanges, some now BT's but some those of rival carriers - or in the links between exchanges or in the software controlling the traffic (and these links may be physical - copper or more likely fibre - or radio - such as microwave links).


Basically the communications networks that service you can be very mixed economies - very different from the very simple distribution of gas, water or electricity.

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