@ChrisGee In an emergency call to 999 your mobile phone can use EE, Vodafone, 3 and O2. I do not believe for a second you can't get a signal on all 4 networks on your home, during a power failure while having an emergency
Just to clarify it is NOT the copper network closing down in 2025 it is only the PSTN network. Basically the telephone exchanges that that routes the calls around.
The copper network will be retired after the PSTN switch off.
@licquorice I’m pleased that you haven’t had to call the emergency services during a power cut. Long may this continue. It doesn’t mean that nobody has been in this situation.
@jamesbuchanan66 You are right. The use of the 999 service will be across networks. However there are a significant number of areas where any signal from any network is at best unreliable.
@jamesbuchanan66 James. Please read my comment again. You and some others seem to imagine that i’m being a wuss. Let me assure you that if it was only me that was involved i wouldn’t have an issue. Some of us have others to consider and aren’t free agents who can deal with emergencies without drama. What i will say is don’t judge everyones situation from your own point of view.
Storm Arwen: Third night of no power for thousands https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-59457045
Storm Arwen took out not only the power to my house but also the cellphone tower. This left us with the old plug in phone which worked BUT when we change over to Digital Voice (shortly judging by the letters and Smart Hub 2 arrival) the landline will die leaving us with no contact with the outside world. Even calling the emergency power line number to find out when the power might come back will be impossible.
A one hour battery back up would not have helped, this time we were off for over 36 hours.
I think we will have to look for an emergency power supply!