Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!usc!apple!agate!telecom-request From: whs70@taichi.bellcore.com (24460-W. H. Sohl(L145)) Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom Subject: Re: Cable TV vs Telco Connectivity Laws Message-ID: Date: 20 Mar 91 14:48:21 GMT Sender: Telecom@eecs.nwu.edu Reply-To: "24460-W. H. Sohl" Organization: Bellcore, Livingston, NJ Lines: 48 Approved: Telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 11, Issue 222, Message 5 of 8 In article caf@omen.UUCP (Chuck Forsberg WA7KGX) writes: > In article John Kennedy com> writes: >> subscriber for each piece of equipment connected to the cable. It >> seems that cable legislation is a few years behind that for the >> telephone industry. >> Is there legislation afoot anywhere that is attempting to modernize >> this? > Yes, Senate Bill 12 for 1991. Ask your senator to mail you a copy, > then bug him to support it if you agree with it. Hearings were held > on S.12 last week, but the issues were not covered by CNN. Is this federal legislation or is it legislation within one state? I have always found it ironic that here in New Jersey, most (possibly all) cable tariffs allow the addition of an "inline" VCR at no cost while still requiring an indivisual extra charge for each additional TV added. The irony of that is, of course, that I can video tape another channel while watching something else and then play it back on a separate TV and VCR not connected at all to the cable. I once spoke to a Board of Public Utilities (NJ) "expert" about why should extra TVs be charged for. His position (and presumably that of the cable companies) is that multiple TV's mean you are getting greater value from the cable at any point in time, since you can be watching channel X on one TV while another family member is watching channel Y in another room on another set. I gave him the point about no charge for a VCR and he claimed it really wasn't the same thing. My view is that the cable "service" should be provided to a single point within any home at a standard signal level and then any further distribution within the home should be left to the homeowner. Fears of bad inside wiring being detrimental to other cable subscribers can be alleviated by using some type of unidirectional broadband isolation device as a standard cable interface (terminating module) for each home. Bill Sohl K2UNK || email Bellcore, Morristown, NJ || UUCP bcr!taichi!whs70 (Bell Communications Research) || or 201-829-2879 Weekdays || Internet whs70@taichi.cc.bellcore.com