Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!mailrus!accuvax.nwu.edu!nucsrl!telecom-request
From: henry@garp.mit.edu (Henry Mensch)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Boston Gas "Specially-equipped Gas Meter"
Message-ID: <8329@accuvax.nwu.edu>
Date: 26 May 90 22:10:45 GMT
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X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 10, Issue 390, Message 6 of 7


I received this letter in the mail today:

Dear Henry Mensch:

In the next two weeks, Boston Gas Company will be in your neighborhood
to install a new meter reading system.  This new system will enable us
to read your meter accurately on a monthly basis without the necessity
of a meter reader entering your home.

A Boston Gas service representative will be at your home to install a
new, specially-equipped gas meter.  The inconvenience to you will be
minimal, the meter change will take about twenty-five minutes and will
be performed at no charge to you.  We will then be able to read your
meter accurately by radio signal from a computer equipped van as we
drive down your street.

Once the new meter reading system is installed, you will soon begin to
receive your monthly bills based on actual, not estimated, readings.
without the inconveniences associated with conventional meter reading.

We are very excited about this meter reading system and believe that 
it will continue to improve our service to you.  We appreciate your
cooperation.

                                Sincerely,


                                Domenic A. Barbero, Jr.
                                Manager
                                Customer Activities


(n.b. -- All capitalization in the letter is mine; the letter was
computer-generated and printed in upper case).

Now, aside from not including very many details of this new system
(does it continuously broadcast use?  If not, then how does it know to
broadcast?  how is the signal encoded?  ...), one wonders what gives
boston gas company the idea that I want them to install a radio
transmitter in my home.


# Henry Mensch    /   <henry@garp.mit.edu>   /   E40-379 MIT,  Cambridge, MA
# <hmensch@uk.ac.nsfnet-relay> / <henry@tts.lth.se> / <mensch@munnari.oz.au>