Would phones/internet work in Case of Apocalypse

[pa_foster 10]

Phone exchanges are very resilient - most have an engine that will start when the mains power fails and maintain service. Even when the fuel runs out and the engine stops, there are batteries which will provide additional "running time". However, by this point the exchange will probably have switched into emergency calls only mode but, depending on the configuration of the exchange, internet (via fibre and copper) should still function - at least until the batteries go flat.

 

Once power is restored - ^i.e someone manages to get power into the National Grid (at least at a local level) - then the exchange will come back "alive". Alternately, someone will need to keep refilling the fuel-tank at the exchange... problematical at best during an Apocalypse. Locating fuel, delivering it in bulk, filling the tanks (especially if zombies are involved) all this would have to be done at every exchange in the country on a regular basis. Scavaging fuel woud become harder and harder until there was nothing left accessible... then the batteries would cut in again and run the exchange until they went flat.

 

Of course, most exchanges nowadays are automated so all this switching happens without human intervention. So, if the National Grid was restored, all the exchanges would return to service and you'd be able to make calls/get internet access. Of course, getting power-stations up and running is a whole different ball game... As would be maintaining the equipment in the exchanges as older/worn down equipment failed there would be nothing to replace it.

 

There would, as the Apocalypse unfolded, be service interruptions - however these are more likely on mobile phones than on static home-based phones. I'm not entirely sure of the number of calls it would take to overwhelm an exchange but its certainly on the order of thousands of simultaneous dialling attempts if not higher.

 

Of course, much depends on the type of Apocalypse we are facing. So-called slow apocalypses - global warming/cooling, anoxia, plagues, &ct. - would have very little impact on service and you could probably continue playing Dayz right up until the end. However, mass extinction events tend to be... rather sudden. The impact of a shit-tonne of asteroid hitting Earth at umpteen thousand miles per hour ain't gonna leave you much to time get in one last run to NWAF before everything goes away with a suddenness. In the event of a nuclear war (on a global/apocalyptic scale) I suspect even the most die-hard DayZ fan is going to have other priorities - such as not burning to death/becoming a sterile mutation/being literally blown away.

Edited February 24, 2014 by pa_foster

[Zeppa 562]

System doesnt fall because there will be too much traffic that "overloads" it. It cant be overloaded to the point of failure (communications).
Coms will work as long as there is power and no damage to the data lines. All relay stations have backup power, dont know exactly for how long, but would ques its few days max.

Power will go down, at least at from the damaged grids(powerlines, transformers etc gets damaged) that gets shutdown due they are "shorting" the grid.

[Nicko2580 398]

What you're forgetting is that the exchanges and power plants might still function, but the infrastructure to carry the phone signals/electricity will get heavily damaged. 

Thinking specifically in terms of a zed apocalypse, places are going to get bombed/nuked, people will panic, cars will crash into electricity poles, armies will move in to fight and destroy a lot of the infrastructure in their path (with orders likely only to try and keep key buildings intact). And there will be no one to fix any of this unless we win quickly.

So yeah, the exchanges and the power plants might function, but with smashed up infrastructure all over the world you'll only ever get power/telecom on a local scale. The world will go dark, and once it does, it will likely stay that way.

[pa_foster 10]

What you're forgetting is that the exchanges and power plants might still function, but the infrastructure to carry the phone signals/electricity will get heavily damaged. 

Thinking specifically in terms of a zed apocalypse, places are going to get bombed/nuked, people will panic, cars will crash into electricity poles, armies will move in to fight and destroy a lot of the infrastructure in their path (with orders likely only to try and keep key buildings intact). And there will be no one to fix any of this unless we win quickly.

So yeah, the exchanges and the power plants might function, but with smashed up infrastructure all over the world you'll only ever get power/telecom on a local scale. The world will go dark, and once it does, it will likely stay that way.

Much of the urban infrastructure - at least here in the UK - is underground and more is going into the ground every year. So, in large conurbations, there would be very little damage to the infrastructure from conventional warfare - unless an exchange took a direct hit it should continue to function. A number of exchanges - the exact number and locations are, naturally, classified - are hardened and will continue to function even with a nearby EMP - although unprotected electronics such as your mobile/home phone will promptly cease to function. A direct nuclear strike is, however, a different matter since the level of damage is overwhelming and even an hardened exchange would get demolished/incinerated/vaporised depending on its distance from the hypocenter.

 

As I pointed out, mainainence of the network - post apocalypse - would be difficult (not impossible but on a very rapidly increasing scale of problematical) until the point where the necessary supplies or replacement parts are no longer available. Then the local infrastructure will start to break down, followed by the national infrastructure. But, most exchanges nowadays have smart routing: if you dial (for example) Liverpool and an exchange at Wigan is no longer responding, the system will route around the dead exchange in an attempt to find an alternate route. And, with 7000+ exchanges in the UK alone, that provides plenty of resilience.

 

You also need to remember that we've had 50-plus years to contemplate nuclear armaggedon and precautions have been taken to ensure the continuity of communications in the advent of a suden outbreak of mushroom clouds.

 

I do agree, however, that once the system goes dark it's going to take an hurculean effort to restore it and, depending on the nature of the Apocalypse, it may not be possible to do so.