john@mojave.ati.com (John Higdon) (06/23/91)
Those of you who have been reading the Digest over the past few months are well aware of my ten lines that have individual drops, making the back of my house look like Slum Alley. Some interesting developments: I ordered five more residential lines (in hunting). The rep did not even ask what they were to be used for. I specified a due date of 6/28, to coincide with my return from a desert trip. Already I have been informed by the person watching my house that a Pac*Bell installation supervisor has made a pre-field visit. He indicated that it was his intention to replace the single drops and install a pair of 12-pair cables. He has scheduled a full day to work on the project. BTW, wanna know what the assigned lead number is (that was given to me without asking and hence there will be no "vanity charges")? 266-4400! Not bad for an "out of the box" number, eh? And all of this in spite of the way I treat Pac*Bell in the Digest. Just goes to show the right hand must not know what the left hand does! John Higdon <john@zygot.ati.com> (hiding out in the desert)
Jim.Redelfs@uunet.uu.net> (06/25/91)
John Higdon wrote: > [I have] ten lines that have individual drops, making the back of my > house look like Slum Alley. > I ordered five more residential lines... ...a Pac*Bell installation > supervisor has made a pre-field visit. [They intend to] install a > pair of 12-pair cables [and have] scheduled a full day to work on the > project. > [I was assigned] 266-4400! Not bad for an "out of the box" number, > eh? > And all of this in spite of the way I treat Pac*Bell in the Digest. > Just goes to show the right hand must not know what the left hand > does! Congratulations, John! It occurred to me that perhaps they DO know how you feel about them. They've tried poor (lousy?) service and it got them no where, so they are trying GOOD service for a change! If they successfully pull it off (do the job right) will it improve your opinion of them? Why don't they just BURY the whole mess? I believe that (if feasible) that wouldn't be much more expensive that replacing the existing rats nest with more aerial. As I recall, you've said there is, currently, a wide assortment of individual protectors. Have you requested an RJ21X interface w/amphenol connector? JR Tabby 2.2 MacNetOmaha(402)289-2899 Multitasking w/MacOrphans (1:285/14)
John Higdon <john@zygot.ati.com> (06/29/91)
Jim Redelfs <ivgate!Jim.Redelfs@uunet.uu.net> writes: > If they successfully pull it off (do the job right) will it improve > your opinion of them? Well, the jury is still out. They didn't make the due date (6/28). But wait there's more ... > Why don't they just BURY the whole mess? I believe that (if feasible) > that wouldn't be much more expensive that replacing the existing rats > nest with more aerial. > As I recall, you've said there is, currently, a wide assortment of > individual protectors. Have you requested an RJ21X interface > w/amphenol connector? The man showed up today and replaced my ten individual drops with three six-pair cables. They are terminated on modern demark boxes (you know, the kind with modular plugs inside). The old drops are history, and the interruption was minimal. But the six new lines (I upped the order) are yet to be installed. Earlier in the week, my rep told me that the order had been referred to the "P102" desk. It seems that the neighborhood facilities are under some strain. On Thursday, I was told that two pairs had been cleared in "the underground" but zero pairs were yet to be made available in the aerial. The man said, and I quote exactly, "I'll be back on Monday to install your six lines." This evening I discovered that the six pairs had been "built" in the CO. That is, they ring without intercept. But only two of them sound as though there is any wire on them. (An interesting characteristic of crossbar is that a good ear can tell many things about the ringing line from the caller end of ringback.) The hunt group works properly. It will be interesting to see just exactly what gets installed on Monday. The installer made an interesting comment about the upcomming CO upgrade. The crossbar will be cut to 5ESS in September, and I have been thinking CLASS and all that good stuff. While that WILL be available, Mr. Telephone Man commented that the only reason the PUC was now "letting" Pac*Bell finally replace all the crossbar was so that the company could provide 976/900 blocking universally. If true, it goes right along with our regulatory embarassment that calls itself a PUC. Apparently, providing modern, useful telephone service is not important; protecting idiots (those who cannot help dialing 976/900 numbers) is. While I have been eagerly awaiting the 5ESS for the real services it will provide, the only value the PUC sees is the blocking it will provide. I wonder how many more years the crossbar would have been allowed to wheeze away if it had not been for the most holy 976/900 blocking. John Higdon | P. O. Box 7648 | +1 408 723 1395 john@zygot.ati.com | San Jose, CA 95150 | M o o !