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From: larry@kitty.UUCP.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Submission for mod.telecom (FCC Registration)
Message-ID: <8704111725.AA04537@seismo.CSS.GOV>
Date: Sat, 11-Apr-87 12:25:53 EST
Article-I.D.: seismo.8704111725.AA04537
Posted: Sat Apr 11 12:25:53 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 18-Apr-87 00:27:32 EST
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Approved: telecom@xx.lcs.mit.edu

In a recent article kludge%gitpyr@gatech.gatech.EDU (Scott Dorsey) writes:
> Is there any problem using telephone equipment which is not FCC licensed?
> I have some surplus Army field telephones (modified for common battery use),
> and some homebrew phones which are around the house.  I certainly hope that
> I can still operate it, although I could understand being prevented from
> selling such stuff.

	I will give you two answers:

(1)	The OFFICIAL answer is that you are only allowed to connect devices
	to the telephone line which are FCC registered (which carry FCC
	registration numbers), or devices which were "grandfathered" at
	the time FCC Part 68 took effect.  Grandfathered devices are
	listed by the FCC and by operating telephone companies, and are
	devices which were deemed acceptable to connect to the telephone
	line prior to the issuance of FCC registration numbers.  Most of
	the grandfathered devices consisted of telephone answering machines,
	modems and PBX's; these devices would now be at least 11 years old,
	and would be pretty much obsolete.

(2)	The UNOFFICIAL answer is that you could damn well connect anything
	you want to the telephone network, and not have a problem PROVIDED
	that the device was a telephone with no external source of energy
	(i.e., not some 120 VAC powered device).  Devices that utilize
	AC line power and are neither FCC-registered nor grandfathered
	should be carefully checked for powerline leakage before use.  It
	is extremely difficult to cause physical harm to the telephone
	company cable plant or central office equipment, but it is possible
	if you intentionally try.  It is also difficult to cause crosstalk
	on telephone company cables, but it is possible if you do something
	pretty stupid (like send a +20 dBm tone over the line), or if your
	motive is intentional interference.

<>  Larry Lippman @ Recognition Research Corp., Clarence, New York
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