Re: Letters with **three** cases?

In message <42CAB346.171D@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Peter T. Daniels <grammatim@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> writes
Lee Sau Dan wrote: 

>>>>> "Richard" == Richard Herring <junk@[127.0.0.1]> writes:

    >> It varies quite a bit.  Most (land-line) phones sold currently
    >> in the Netherlands require a mains connection.  Two of the
    >> phones in my home do not, they pick the power required from the
    >> phone line (and they require power only for ringing and during
    >> a call).

    Richard> That's unusual. None of the half-dozen or so land-line
    Richard> phones in my house requires mains power for anything,
    Richard> except for the one with an answering machine, and even
    Richard> that still works as a normal phone without power.

I   suppose   that   graceful   fallback  is   required   by   certain
telecommunications  regulations that phone  makers must  follow, isn't
it?

    Richard> The real question here is whether the land-line exchanges
    Richard> or the mobile base stations require mains power or have
    Richard> their own backup supplies - and the answer to that
    Richard> depends on the phone company's accountants, not on any
    Richard> fundamental property of either system.

Doesn't your  country's land-line phone operator  license require that
the phone network  be still functional even when  all the power plants
are shut down?

What's a phone operator license?

A source of revenue for the government?

(And, since I had to Reply anyway, what's a SIM card?)

Subscriber Identity Module. The chip which tells the mobile what your phone number is, stores your address book and any other information that can be transferred when you buy a more fashionable model.

--
Richard Herring
.

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