thomas%mvac23.uucp@udel.edu (Thomas Lapp) (06/09/90)
There was recently discussion over reading utility meters either by
radio or via telephone.
A news article in the Saturday, 9 June 90 issue of the Wilmington
(Delaware) {News-Journal} indicates that Diamond State Telephone is
presently seeking approval to offer meter reading services to
utilities in its area.
The system is the same as has been discussed in these pages before:
the company calls your home with a method that does not ring your
phone, and the unit attached to the meter and phone line sends the
data requested. As in the other system, if someone picks up the line
while the data transfer is going on, it is cancelled and the user has
access to his phone line. The data request call is tried again later.
Some interesting points from this article that I had not seen in prior
postings:
"...the utility's computer sends its customers' telephone numbers into
the automatic meter-reading equipment, which in turn dials the
customer using a special line so the subscriber's phone doesn't
ring..."
"...A call takes only seconds and will be made between midnight and
6am,when calling volume is lightest, said [Douglas R.] Smith [manager
of regulartory matters for Diamond State]..."
"...Water companies have been the first to take advantage of the service
...but in the future, all metered utilities -- electricity, gas and
water -- could be hooked into the same system ... if all the utilities
work together...."
"...The system is working in New Jersey and in the trial stage in
Pennsylvania ... Hackensack Water Company is its [New Jersey Bell's]
largest customer with 170,000 meters attached to the service. Four
other water companies are in the process of adopting the system..."
"...According to the application filed with the PSC, utilites would
pay a non-recurring charge of $1,500 for the central office special
access circuit, a monthly rate of $410, plus 3 cents a call in
off-peak hours..."
Two quick comments: I'm assuming that the "special access circuit"
between the utility and the central office would be a dedicated line.
I'd hate to think that it would be a switched circuit. There probably
isn't a whole lot of info you could get from 'cracking' a utility
reading system, but if you take that datum with all the others you can
get on a residence, it might pose a security risk. I know, rather
far-fetched, though.
The other thing is a little less serious. If the utilities are
charged a non-recurring fee of $1,500, does this appear on their third
bill? And does it continue to appear on other bills even when they
tell the phone company to remove the "extra non-recurring charges?" ;-)
- tom
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