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From: kitty!larry@uunet.uu.net (Larry Lippman)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Telephone Company Refusing to Supply Cable for Multiple Lines
Message-ID: <telecom11.242.7@eecs.nwu.edu>
Date: 26 Mar 91 05:46:42 GMT
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X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 11, Issue 242, Message 7 of 9

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
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