thomas%mvac23.uucp@udel.edu (Thomas Lapp) (02/06/90)
I've seen a few messages recently talking about the charges that the
telephone companies levy for "insurance" against a problem with
in-house wiring.
As many people do, I live in an apartment building which has been
pre-wired for at least one pair. Since the phone co.'s service ends
at the enterance point to the building (an assumption), and I do not
have access to the internal wiring of the building, who is responsible
if there is a problem between the point the pair enters the building
and the outlet jack in my apartment? The landlord? Me? The other
question deals with the wire maintenance charge. Does it make sense
at all for me to sign up for inside wiring maintenance since I don't
really have control over the wiring within the building?
And, no, I haven't checked with my landlord about this (yet!). I'll
let you know what the landlord's policy is when I find out.
- tom
internet : mvac23!thomas@udel.edu or thomas%mvac23@udel.edu
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Europe Bitnet: THOMAS1@GRATHUN1
Location: Newark, DE, USA
Quote : Virtual Address eXtension. Is that like a 9-digit zip code?
[Moderator's Note: One of the dumbest parts of divestiture was this
problem of who handles the wire beyond what point. In large older
urban areas like Chicago, we have hundreds of old (1920-30-ish) high
rise buildings, formerly hotels with switchboards, with jumbles of
wire coming in from the street. Multiples abound; a pair terminating
in my building not in use will show up in the basement of the building
down the block. The cable opens up three or four places, and I can go
in the basement of my building and get on fifty different pairs all in
use either in my building or the buildings across the street. You
don't want to pay IBT to install, so your boyfriend says he can do the
job; or maybe its the building janitor....then tomorrow my second line
does not work. Fist fights have broken out in Chicago between people
who accused each other of stealing their pairs and their service. But
the judge, in his wisdom, and all that rot.... well, you know the
story. Illinois Bell now handles the wiring literally to the front
door of your apartment. They take care of the apartment building
basements and the internal house-pair boxes; but at first, they
literally stopped where the wires went in the building, until it got
too ridiculous. PT]c186aj@cory.berkeley.edu (Steve Forrette) (02/07/90)
In article <3563@accuvax.nwu.edu> you write: >if there is a problem between the point the pair enters the building >and the outlet jack in my apartment? The landlord? Me? At least in U S West territory, the wiring plan includes the wiring in the apartment building up to and including your jacks. At least that's the response I got when aquiring service in the Seattle area about a year ago. Then again, they charge $1.55/month for their wiring plan! And people are saying that Pacific Bell's 50 cents/month is high. Where I live now, there is a great tendency for people to "move" their service themselves when they change rooms. The punchdown block is a mess as a result. Often, someone else's service is knocked off inadvertantly. It is for this reason I decided to pay for the wiring plan, even though I am perfectly capable of doing it myself. If my line goes dead (which it probably will in the next 6 months), calling 611 is just a lot easier (especially if I'm not home and need to be able to have messages left on my machine)
wdarden@nrtc.nrtc.northrop.com (Bill Darden) (02/09/90)
Don't waste your money unless you are remodeling; whichcase, cancel after you are through. BiLL..... [Moderator's Note: But in the case of Illinois Bell at least, you have to subscribe for a minimum period *before* using the inside wiring service; for some minimum period of time in total; and like any insurance policy, they reserve the right to not pay off (or in this case, bill you) for deliberate damage. PT]