larry@uunet.uu.net (Larry Lippman) (03/26/91)
In article <telecom11.220.8@eecs.nwu.edu> john@zygot.ati.com (John Higdon) writes: > Right now, my ten lines > come in on individual drops, reminiscent of an alleyway in some slum. > My friends all have managed to get Pac*Bell to at least install cable > drops to THEIR houses. I hope John Higdon does not take offense at the following speculation. I know for a fact (based upon a couple of specific incidents) that telephone company security personnel will order that no cable or multiple drop be furnished to any subscriber who has multiple lines and who is suspected of being a "security risk" with respect to unlawful eavesdropping or toll fraud. The purpose of such an order is to prevent such a "security risk" from having ready access to any spare pairs entering distribution facilities on the street. The concern is that such a "knowledgeable" person on their own could connect spare pairs to other subscriber lines. I know of a particular instance in a BOC telephone company where such a "security risk" resided in an apartment building which had a partially utilized 25-pair cable in the basement. Telephone company security ordered that a cable crew open an aerial splice and physically disconnect *every* spare pair entering the apartment building. This meant that any time an additional pair was needed for a subscriber in the building, a cable crew had to again open the aerial splice and connect the pair at the street. Not very convenient for installation-repair personnel, but security evidently slept better at night. :-) I cannot say that I disagree with such a practice, though. Also, from a tariff standpoint, the telephone company is under no obligation to provide cable or multiple drop in lieu of individual drop wires. Therefore, this is an arbitrary decision on the part of the telephone company with no practicable basis for appeal. Larry Lippman @ Recognition Research Corp. "Have you hugged your cat today?" VOICE: 716/688-1231 {boulder, rutgers, watmath}!ub!kitty!larry FAX: 716/741-9635 [note: ub=acsu.buffalo.edu] uunet!/ \aerion!larry
john@zygot.ati.com (John Higdon) (03/27/91)
Larry Lippman <kitty!larry@uunet.uu.net> writes: > Also, from a tariff standpoint, the telephone company is under > no obligation to provide cable or multiple drop in lieu of individual > drop wires. Therefore, this is an arbitrary decision on the part of > the telephone company with no practicable basis for appeal. In my case, the drops were added one at a time over a twenty-five year period. When my friends moved into their houses, they ordered many lines at one time and got cable installed on the spot. As a result, I am not TOO paranoid that telco considers me a "security risk". Although when four lines did go in at once the installer promised to clean up the whole mess with cable and then never came back. But I let the repair department lie in its own bed. None of the protectors are marked and when a repair person appears, I let him/her laboriously open each one, ID the number, and move on to the next. Each one mumbles about how it is a mess and should be cleaned up. Nothing ever happens. John Higdon | P. O. Box 7648 | +1 408 723 1395 john@zygot.ati.com | San Jose, CA 95150 | M o o !