We've recently had our PSTN moved to Digital Voice (over VDSL2 / SOGEA from Zen).
I'm looking to get UPS/battery backup for the router, as we're in a rural location with powercuts from time-to-time, and the mobile signal is pretty poor. That's why we've held onto PSTN until now.
In terms of resilience, is there any real difference between Digital Voice and using Wifi Calling from a mobile? (Assuming we've a powerpack to charge the phone.)
It seems to me that either way will use broadband to get the signal down to the exchange, and after that it's into the core network?
The resilience of the VoIP service depends on your connection to the internet.
If you are on FTTP, the connection is passive from the head-end exchange to the ONT in your house. The head-end will nearly certainly have contingency measures like battery or generator so the connection should be pretty bomb-proof. Provided you have UPS for the ONT and Router you should maintain a signal.
If you are on FTTC then the signal is transmitted through local exchanges and cabinets, all of which need power. Our experience in a rural area is that our cabinet dies after about four hours as the installed battery runs down. Even if you have a UPS for the router which will last longer than the four hours the signal coming in to the router will be gone.
If you use Wifi calling from a mobile you are subject to exactly the same constraints as above.
If you are using the mobile network rather than WiFi to make calls, then you are governed by the time that your mast will stay live after a power outage starts. Our rural mast has a battery that keeps the mast live for two or three hours after the start of an outage; after that point only people with an FTTP connection have any contact with the outside world.
HTH.
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