i have cable, in the us, it goes out for awhile probably on a weekly basis. calling them is pointless.
if i really need internet--and i did a couple weeks ago when it happened (i don't carry an internet-capable phone), my office is less than five minutes away and has dsl. the phone company has proven itself to be far more reliable than cable, even if they are scummy, greedy bastards just like cable and wireless companies.