TRACON SUPVR CONCERNED THAT THERE IS NO ALTERNATE TELCO COM TRUNK LINES TO ADJOINING CTL FACILITIES. ONLY THE LCL; NON TAPED TELEPHONE LINES ARE AVAILABLE AS BACK UP. ALLEGEDLY; FACILITY HAS INCURRED MULTIPLE COM OUTAGES WHICH DIRECTLY IMPACT ATC OPS. EMPLOYEE UCR FILED.

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THERE HAVE BEEN AT LEAST 7 COM FAILURES SINCE JAN/THU/98. WE DISCOVERED; AS A RESULT OF THE DOWN TIME; THAT THERE IS ONLY ONE T-1 LINE FROM ERIE TWR TO THE EAST ERIE MCI SWITCHING STATION. ESTIMATE THE DISTANCE TO BE 6 MI. ALL LAND LINE COM FROM ERIE TO ADJACENT AIR TFC FACILITIES ARE CARRIED ON THIS LINE. THE NORM IS A REDUNDANT LINE FOR BACK UP. THIS LINE ALSO CARRIES THE PRIMARY AND BACK UP TRANSCEIVER FOR JHW ARPT; A SATELLITE ARPT ERI CTLS. THIS TRANSCEIVER IS USED FOR ATC COMS TO ALL LOW ALT TFC ENTERING THE AIRSPACE FROM THE E. DUE TO ERIE'S LOCATION; MUCH COORD (LAND LINE) IS REQUIRED WITH CLEVELAND AND TORONTO CTRS; CLEVELAND/BUFFALO/YOUNGSTOWN APCH CTLS AND ALTOONA/BUFFALO/CLEVELAND FSS. WHEN THESE OUTAGES OCCUR; ERI'S ONLY METHOD OF LAND LINE COM IS AN UNRECORDED TELEPHONE LINE IN THE TRACON. THERE IS A UCR FILED ON THIS SUBJECT. A PROPOSAL IS CURRENTLY BEING RECOMMENDED FOR A PARALLEL T-1 LINE TO BE INSTALLED AS A PURE REDUNDANT SETUP WOULD BE VERY EXPENSIVE AND ENTAIL AN EXORBITANT MONTHLY FEE. THE PARALLEL T-1 WOULD ENABLE THE SEPARATION OF DIRECT VOICE CALL AND DIAL LINES AND THE TWO SATELLITE TRANSCEIVERS. THIS WOULD ENABLE CONTINUED COM OR RELAY CAPABILITY WHEN ONLY ONE LINE FAILED.