Switched over to Uverse 300 (TV, Internet, Phone) last month and it works fine.- until the power went out and my phone died. Pulled the door on the gateway modem and found the battery slot empty. I called three different help line techs, and they all concurred that as of 7/27/2015, AT&T stopped providing backup batteries even if you ordered phone service. A potentially dangerous situation in case of emergencies. I was told that since they do not even stock batteries anymore, I had to search the internet, find one and buy it. Even more bizarre, the help line tech said that because this is a potential deal breaker, neither the sales people or the installers are telling the new customers that they are getting a non working gateway during power outages. Thy find out the hard way. A battery + shipping runs about $50. I did find a knockoff made in China for $19 and asked the tech guy what would happen if it was incompatible and damaged the gateway. He said they would send me another gateway, and then another and so on. Why not just send me a good battery? Sorry, but we don't have batteries, but we have plenty of gateways. Huh! Bottom line - If your thinking about switching to Uverse for phone, tell them you want a backup battery or the deals off. Also have the installer show you the battery before he leaves.
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