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TELECOM Digest     Thu, 20 Oct 2005 00:23:00 EDT    Volume 24 : Issue 475

Inside This Issue:                             Editor: Patrick A. Townson

    Lawmakers Urge US to Keep Control of Internet (Andy Sullivan)
    AOL Fires 700 Employees This Week (Kenneth Li)
    Long Beach, CA Network Failure (Tim@Backhome.org)
    MVNO Business and Partnering Strategies (Cellular-News)
    My First SMS Spam (Tony P.)
    Re: Google Loses Name gmail in Lawsuit Against Company (Barry Margolin)
    Re: TV Show - Legacy Phone in Scene (Paul Coxwell)
    Re: TV Show - Legacy Phone in Scene (Lisa Hancock)
    Re: Giant Conspiracy or Just Rotten Luck? (Lisa Hancock)
    Re: The Heights Some People go to Avoid Telcos, Cable (H Cabot Henhouse)
    On Having Telco as a Housemate (was Question Easement) (John McHarry)

Telecom and VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) Digest for the
Internet.  All contents here are copyrighted by Patrick Townson and
the individual writers/correspondents. Articles may be used in other
journals or newsgroups, provided the writer's name and the Digest are
included in the fair use quote.  By using -any name or email address-
included herein for -any- reason other than responding to an article
herein, you agree to pay a hundred dollars to the recipients of the
email.

               ===========================

Addresses herein are not to be added to any mailing list, nor to be
sold or given away without explicit written consent.  Chain letters,
viruses, porn, spam, and miscellaneous junk are definitely unwelcome.

We must fight spam for the same reason we fight crime: not because we
are naive enough to believe that we will ever stamp it out, but because
we do not want the kind of world that results when no one stands
against crime.   Geoffrey Welsh

               ===========================

See the bottom of this issue for subscription and archive details
and the name of our lawyer; other stuff of interest.  

----------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Andy Sullivan  <reuters@telecom-digest.org>
Subject: Lawmakers Urge US to Keep Control of Internet
Date: Wed, 19 Oct 2005 21:47:08 -0500


By Andy Sullivan

U.S. lawmakers are urging the Bush administration to resist a push
from other countries to shift control of the Internet to the United
Nations, arguing that such a move would stifle innovation and free
expression.

"Is it going to become a vehicle for global taxation of domain names?
Are you going to allow folks who have demonstrated a pattern of
suppression of content, are they going to be put in charge of running
this thing?" said Minnesota Republican Sen. Norm Coleman , sponsor of
a Senate resolution that calls for the Internet's core addressing
system to remain under U.S. control.

Coleman's resolution, along with similar remarks by senior lawmakers
in the House of Representatives, should give a boost to
U.S. negotiators as they prepare for a United Nations summit in
Tunisia next month where the issue will loom large.

Though no one country controls the Internet as a whole, the U.S.
Commerce Department maintains final authority over the domain-name
system that matches easy-to-remember names like "example.com" with the
Internet Protocol numbers that are assigned to each computer on the
Internet.

That system is overseen by a California-based nonprofit group called the
Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, or ICANN.

If other countries refuse to recognize ICANN's legitimacy, Internet
users in different parts of the globe could wind up at different Web
sites when they type "www.example.com" into their browsers.

GLOBAL RESOURCE

Countries like Brazil and Iran have argued in a series of meetings
over the past two years that the Internet is now a global resource
that should be overseen by the United Nations or some other
international body.

The European Union withdrew its support of the current system last
month.

The United States has made clear that it intends to maintain control.

In an interview, Coleman said a bureaucratic body like the United
Nations' International Telecommunications Union would slow innovation
and extend its reach beyond the domain-name system. Countries that
censor online content could use the forum to ban free expression
elsewhere, he said.

"I don't think this is mundane. I really think you're talking about the
future of the Internet here," said Coleman, a prominent UN critic who
has overseen a Senate investigation into the UN's oil-for-food scandal.

Since it was founded in 1998, ICANN has introduced competition into the
market for domain names and expanded the number of names available by
introducing new suffixes like .info and .biz. as alternatives to
standbys like .com and .org.

But the nonprofit body has also been plagued by infighting, charges that
it does not operate in a transparent manner, and the perception that it
is cowed by the U.S. government.

ICANN agreed to suspend work on a proposed .xxx domain name for sex
sites after the Bush administration objected in August.

Despite the nonprofit group's flaws, "I don't think anyone would argue
that there is any demonstrated effort to limit access, to control
content, to limit growth. If anything ICANN has overseen a tremendous
positive expansion," Coleman said.


Copyright 2005 Reuters Limited.


[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Well, here we go again. I am anxiously
awaiting the usual round of hate mail I always recieve on this topic,
when I say _anyone but ICANN_ would do a better job of running things
than they. Typically, one or two readers will write and claim I am
suffering from a delusion; that ICANN has no real authority and it
isn't their fault that the Internet has gone to hell so badly in the
past few years and would I please quit kicking around Vint Cerf (the net)
for his half-assed and blatently prejudiced attitudes in the operation
of things around here. Even though large segments of the world, other
than USA have decided that ICANN and Mr. Cerf are not the best people
to run things (not by a long shot!), still there are a few people who
read this newsgroup and wherever else who think his operation is just
slendid, couldn't be any better, etc. That is, when they occassionally
agree with me that ICANN is where things are at around here. 

But, people in Britain, France, Germany, the rest of Europe, Canada,
South America, China, Australia, here is a surprise for you: Mr. Vint
Cerf and his cronies at ICANN do _not_ intend to step down. They have
too good of a thing here to share with anyone else. I just wish that 
some one or more persons with the wherewithal, ability and interest to
operate an _honest and legitimate_ system of roots with fairness in
mind for _all users_ (with appropriate contracts, etc) would take over
and drive those crooks out of business once and for all.   PAT]

------------------------------

From: Kenneth Li <reuters@telecom-digest.org> 
Subject: AOL Fires 700 Employees This Week
Date: Wed, 19 Oct 2005 21:47:56 -0500


By Kenneth Li

Time Warner Inc.'s AOL Internet division this week laid off more than
700 employees, or less than 5 percent of its global work force, amid
ongoing efforts to cut costs, the company said on Wednesday.

Most of the cuts came from AOL's dial-up service operations, AOL said.

AOL, which is currently being courted by Microsoft, Google Inc.,
Comcast Corp. and Yahoo for a possible investment and joint venture,
has shut down its Orlando, Florida, call center, and trimmed jobs in
other areas, including the division's corporate headquarters in
Dulles, Virginia.

"As a result of this structural and strategic transformation, AOL is
better positioned to remain flexible, nimble and competitive in the
market, enabling us to expand existing audiences and reach new ones
online," Nicholas Graham, an AOL spokesman said.

Once the object of scorn at corporate parent Time Warner Inc., AOL has
emerged as the center of attraction for a party of top Internet
companies seeking to cement their market position.

Over the past year, the company has sought to exploit the explosive
growth of online advertising by making more of its programming and
services freely available on the Internet.

It won high marks for its online broadcast of the Live 8 concerts for
aid to Africa, whose viewership handily beat cable and network
television broadcasts of the event.

The company hopes to counter a blistering loss of its traditional
dial-up modem subscribers. At the end of the second quarter the
company had 20.8 million U.S. subscribers after losing 2.6 million
since the beginning of the year and more than 6 million over the last
three years.

It declined to specify the cost savings that would be achieved with
the recent round of cuts, or the impact from severance. AOL
contributed about 20 percent of the company's 2004 revenue and profits
excluding items.

One source familiar with the actions said the charges would be booked
during Time Warner's fiscal fourth quarter.

Copyright 2005 Reuters Limited.

NOTE: For more telecom/internet/networking/computer news from the
daily media, check out our feature 'Telecom Digest Extra' each day at
http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/more-news.html . Hundreds of new
articles daily.

------------------------------

From: Tim@Backhome.org
Subject: Long Beach, CA Network Failure
Date: Wed, 19 Oct 2005 18:14:01 -0700
Organization: Cox Communications


The Los Angeles Times reported this morning (10-19) that a downtown
Verizon central office switch experienced a major failure yesterday.
This had a domino effect that knocked out cellular service in the area
and also expanded to knock out some 150,000 Verizon wireline customers
in the area.

This lasted for several hours.  City officials drove to the nearest
radio station to advise them of the problem (no wireline, no cell
service).

I wonder if this cut off all the wireless providers in the area?
Somehow, I suspect it did since they are so interdependant to keep
network costs down.

This is the heart of former GTE-land.  The article claimed a disk
drive crashed and the backup wouldn't/couldn't/didn't take over.

The typical hype was that additional police were posted to handle any
potential problems.  The heart of Long Beach is a major discontented
ghetto.

------------------------------

Subject: MVNO Business and Partnering Strategies
Date: Wed, 19 Oct 2005 21:56:10 -0500
From: Cellular-News <dailydigest@cellular-news-mail.com>


MVNO Business & Partnering Strategies Congress 
For Network Operators & Mobile Virtual Network Operators
28th November -- 1st December 2005  
Noga Hilton Hotel, Cannes, France
http://www.iir-conferences.com/mvno

IIR's MVNO Business & Partnering Strategies Congress will examine the
impact of MVNOs on the mobile market and identify the opportunities
and threats that they present for fixed and mobile network operators,
both today and in the future.  How can network operators leverage
their partnerships with MVNOs to optimise their network resources,
customer reach and revenues?  The 13 MNO, MVNO, MVNE and regulator
case studies will show you just how to do that and how to develop
effective contracts that will ensure the long-term success of your
partnerships.

If you are an MVNO, how will you benefit by attending this event?  You
will see how you can work more effectively with network operators and
develop a mutually beneficial contractual agreement with them.  You
will also be able to scrutinise the successful business models and
market strategies of companies such as Debitel, CBB Mobil, Orbitel and
Universal Music Mobile.  As an MVNO, I am also delighted to offer you
a 25% discount off the conference price!

Here is a sample of the hot topics and speakers from whom you will
gain expert advice:

*Understand how Sonofon developed a contractual agreement with their
*MVNO to ensure long-term success Examine how T-Mobile International
*and TDC Mobil are optimising their wholesale activities both
*internally and through their MVNO partnerships Learn how Telfort are
*leveraging MVNOs to reach niche customer segments and markets with
*personalised and value-added services See how Debitel France and CBB
*Mobil have built an effective business model and market strategy as
*an MVNO Hear how Universal Music Mobile are working with Bouygues
*Telecom to reach new subscribers Determine how Orbitel have developed
*a successful MVNO for their corporate customers Establish how Bell
*Canada are using Virgin Canada to increase penetration in the youth
*market and revitalise their own youth brand Assess the extent to
*which MVNOs should be regulated from NPT and see how T-Mobile UK have
*identified and overcome the regulatory challenges of partnering with
*MVNOs Understand how T-Systems are developing appropriate and
*competitive outsourcing business models for
*no-frills mobile brands

PLUS, take advantage of the post-conference workshop on Thursday 1st
December 2005.  This workshop will provide an open forum for network
operator and MVNO delegates to discuss the challenges of and solutions
to developing the optimal partnership.  Hear how to develop the best
contract for both parties and how to build a profitable service
portfolio that maximises market reach and customer acquisition.  You
will also see how to overcome the financial challenges of partnering
before looking at the opportunities that are presented by future
technologies for both network operators and MVNOs.

If you have any questions regarding the programme or would like to
contribute to the event, do give me a call on + 44 (0) 20 7915 5644,
or take a look at the website at: www.iir-conferences.com/mvno

To reserve your place at the conference and claim your 25% discount if
you are an MVNO: call our Customer Service team now on + 44 (0) 20
7915 5055 or email us at registration@iir-conferences.com or book
online at http://www.iir-conferences.com

I look forward to meeting you in Cannes!

Georgina Hajdu

Senior Conference Producer, 
IIR Ltd, 
ghajdu@iir-conferences.com

PS BOOK NOW to learn how to develop effective partnerships with MVNOs
and maximise your revenues!

PPS Don't forget to claim your 25% discount if you work for an MVNO!

------------------------------

From: Tony P. <kd1s.nospam@nospam.cox.nosapm.net>
Subject: My First SMS Spam
Organization: Ace Tomato and Cement Co.
Date: Wed, 19 Oct 2005 17:59:15 -0400


I got an SMS message on my cell stating I'd won a trip to the Bahama's. 

Needless to say this got my nasty, nefarious side active. 

Contacted a friend at the AG's office and had him open up a call-out
port on their G3i. I then used the Centrex connection to patch in and
dialed the 800 number from the AG's switch.

When the woman answered the call I told her I didn't appreciate spam
on my cell phone when it was on my dime. She asks if I'd like to be
added to the do-not-call list and reads back my number and then
pauses. She asks if I'm calling from the AG's office to which I reply
that I was.  Click.

Too much fun playing with telemarketing and spamming sleaze. 

------------------------------

From: Barry Margolin <barmar@alum.mit.edu>
Subject: Re: Google Loses Name 'gmail' in Lawsuit Against Company
Organization: Symantec
Date: Wed, 19 Oct 2005 15:20:13 -0400


In article <telecom24.474.1@telecom-digest.org>, Reuters News Wire
<reuters@telecom-digest.org> wrote:

> Google has already changed the name of its email service from Gmail to
> Googlemail in Germany, but said it does not plan to change the name in
> any other countries.

I'm surprised that Google is so wedded to the Gmail name.  Most of
their other products and services seem to be called Google something:
Google Earth, Goole Maps, Google Desktop, Google Groups, for instance.
One of their most valuable assets is the Google brand, so it seems
strange that they don't want to use it for this service.

Barry Margolin, barmar@alum.mit.edu
Arlington, MA
*** PLEASE post questions in newsgroups, not directly to me ***

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 19 Oct 2005 20:34:51 +0100
From: Paul Coxwell <paulcoxwell@tiscali.co.uk>
Subject: Re: TV Show - Legacy Phone in Scene


>> For many years, on TV the ringer sound for a telephone often did not
>> match the telephone set shown.  In earlier years a 300 set or
>> separate bell box ringer would be used for a 500 set.  In later
>> years, a modern phone with an electronic ringer would still sound
>> like a mechanical bell and vice versa.

> How about the often incorrect ringback tones from the C.O.?  Or, the
> immediate return to dial tone when the other party suddenly hung up?
> (called or calling party, it didn't matter ;-)

> [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Or how many times have you seen shows
> where a cellular phone was involved and the person using the cell
> phone heard 'dial tone' when he took the phone 'off hook' to dial a
> number. We know there is no such thing as 'dial tone' on a cell
> phone.   PAT]

Add the speeded up ringing cadence often used.

The immediate dialtone on hangup is common on British shows as well,
along with continued use of our old-style dialtone long after it was
gone from the PSTN.

Another common mistake here is the "pip pip" mimicking the answer
supervision of one of our old trunk signaling systems long after the
last such trunk systems went out of service.

-Paul.

------------------------------

From: hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com
Subject: Re: TV Show - Legacy Phone in Scene
Date: 19 Oct 2005 13:44:01 -0700
Organization: http://groups.google.com


Joseph wrote:

> TV isn't very good about matching phones with their real sounds.  How
> many shows have you seen where someone uses a pay phone and when they
> insert the money it goes "ding-ding?"  Ding-ding went out with the
> demise of the three slot payphone (around the middle of the 60s.)

I think 3-slots were around well into the 1970s, though single slots
came out in the late 1960s.  Single slots were first installed in more
vulnerable locations, such as outdoor payphones or in public places.
Payphones in say office building lobbies or semi-public phones in gas
stations and luncheonettes got converted later.

But you're right -- they kept the coin-drop chimes long after the demise
of that style of phone.

In the city, payphones for prepay, even if dial-tone first.  (I don't
remember if 3-slots could have dial-tone first).  On TV, it seemed
every pay phone was also pre-pay.

However, in rural locations, payphones were postpay.  That is, you got
a dial tone and dialed the number.  If the line was busy or no answer
you just hung up.  But if answered you had to put in the dime to let
your transmitter work.  On such phones there was no "hold area" for
coins and associated relay control, coins went directly into the box.
That meant the phone had a much simpler construction as did the CO
equipment, making it cheaper.  People have previously stated there
were ways to beat the system with that kind of payphone, but I presume
the phoneco figured the cost savings were worth the risk, and maybe
rural people were more honest and less scheming than city people.

> I'm guessing that most people casually wouldn't have a clue that the
> ringing of a phone's sound was wrong.

Most people wouldn't know, just as non-computer people wouldn't notice
the obvious fakery with most computer schemes shown on TV or movies.

In the film "Airplane!", the satire of disaster movies, they purposely
used the buzz of a propeller plane as the background sound for the
jet, among other sight and sound gags.  BTW, the film was not
original, it was actually a remake of a 1950s Canadian film.  The
original film was intended to be totally serious and they used almost
all of its dialogue and plot.  They just hammed it up and added some
gag lines here and there.  The original movie was already so
overwrought it became funny pretty easily.  (The original was shown on
TCM who provided this explanation, the original never made it to
video).

I saw an old TV show with Leslie Nielsen playing a cop.  He did all
the same earnest commanding lines as in "Police Squad" and "Airplane",
only this time he was serious.  But I couldn't take him seriously, I
was laughing.  Some actors become typecast in that mode that they have
trouble doing other work.  For instance, Don Adams (Maxwell Smart, a
great phone user) always was seen as that character.  On the Mary
Tyler Moore show, the actor who played cartoonish newsman Ted Baxter
likewise had trouble being taken seriously in other roles -- people
thought he was still Ted Baxter.

Other actors make the switch ok.  Jennie Garth was one of the 90210
spoiled rich kids and not a very likeable one.  She's now doing a WB
sitcom playing a very different character.  (The new show uses an old
fashioned cash register, FWIW).

------------------------------

From: hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com
Subject: Re: Giant Conspiracy or Just Rotten Luck?
Date: 19 Oct 2005 13:19:04 -0700
Organization: http://groups.google.com


William Warren wrote:

> I suggest you take these steps, and ignore any demand that you deal
> with only one person and/or agency:

[snipped]

I know it's a lot of work, but Mr. Warren's advice is excellent.

Another poster wrote:

> I wonder if there's a forgotten bridge tap off your pair somewhere.

Many years ago this happened to us, except it was our calls being
billed to someone else.  (We reported it to cover our butts).  A few
months later they discovered the error.  The billed party, a business
customer, had been screaming about the calls, but the phone co at
first refused to do anything since they claimed it could've been any
employee.  Finally they did a physical check in the CO and found the
wiring error.

In thinking about it, I wonder if the business customer got billed for
our message units as well.  We had message rate service though we were
pretty careful to stay within the monthly allotment.  (Flash forward
to today -- we went to flat rate service, then Metropolitan Area flat
rate, and now have national unlimited.)

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 19 Oct 2005 15:42:14 -0700
From: Henry Cabot Henhouse III <sooper_chicken@hotmail.com>
Subject: Re: The Heights Some People go to Avoid Telcos and Cable


Some time ago, during the height of the dot com silliness, a company
(trying to raise money) proposed flying planes 24/7 over major cities
which would "bounce" an internet signal to moving rooftop dishes.

I forget the name, I'm sure they're long since forgotten ... they did
have a web site with complete plans and animations. Heh, it looked
like something that would have come from the mind of Hugo Gernsback :)

Danny Burstein <dannyb@panix.com> wrote in message 
news:telecom24.474.6@telecom-digest.org:

>" A blisteringly fast data downlink provided by a stratospheric
> balloon floating 24,000 metres above the Earth has been tested for the
> first time.

> " The untethered, 12,000-cubic-metre helium balloon was tested on 31
> August for several hours. Analysis now shows the test was a success
> and sent data to the ground at 1.25 gigabits per second.  That is
> thousands of times the capacity of a home broadband internet
> connection and the first time such a link has been tested from the
> stratosphere.....

> [ snip ]

> http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn8177

> ( and... a url in the article gets you to some video:

> http://www.capanina.org/documents/CAPANINA_testing_tracking_system.mpg
> _____________________________________________________
> Knowledge may be power, but communications is the key
>       dannyb@panix.com
> [to foil spammers, my address has been double rot-13 encoded]

------------------------------

From: John McHarry <jmcharry@comcast.net>
Subject: On Having Telco as a Housemate (was Question Easement)
Date: Wed, 19 Oct 2005 20:04:06 GMT
Organization: EarthLink Inc. -- http://www.EarthLink.net



[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: As I suspected would happen, one of
our readers did some homework and came up with this article which
first appeared here in February, 1989 and was later repeated in 
November, 1991.  PAT]

> [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Does anyone remember the story in the
> Digest several years ago where an answering service switchboard had
> been located for several years in a private home -- If I could find
> the story somewhere I would re-run it here.  PAT]

Google is Your Friend:


 TELECOM Moderator  	  Nov 12 1991, 8:30 am     
 Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
 From: tele...@eecs.nwu.edu (TELECOM Moderator)
 Date: 12 Nov 91 06:45:34 GMT
 Local: Tues, Nov 12 1991 2:45 am
 Subject: On Having Telco as a Housemate (was Question Easement)

Here is the story I promised earlier which originally appeared in
TELECOM Digest on Sunday, February 26, 1989 along with a few replies
which appeared in the week following.

PAT

                    ------------------

 Date:     Sun, 26 Feb 89 1:04:38 CST
 From:     TELECOM Moderator <tele...@eecs.nwu.edu>
 Subject:  On Having Telco As a 'Housemate'

I will sub-title this report 'The Case of the Box Which Won't Be
Removed'. The location is Lockport, Illinois; a suburban community
thirty miles or so southwest of Chicago. It is served by Illinois
Bell; or should I say the lady I will tell you about serves IBT. One
way or the other -- anyway --

Wanting to get out of the city, the lady bought a house in Lockport.
It is an older place, but very well maintained over the years. One
room would make a great den, but there was one problem that had to be
taken care of first.  In one corner of the room sat a box, about five
feet high and four feet square.  There were about 500 wires running in
and out of it, all eventually finding their way through a hole in the
wall. On the outside of the house at that point, the wires ran a short
distance, then went down into the ground in a metal conduit like
thing.

Curious about it, she asked the realtor what it might be for, and was
told that a former occupant of the house had operated an answering
service there.  The room she was planning for her den had been the
switchboard area for the answering service years before.

The lady called up Illinois Bell to see about having it removed. IBT
agreed to do so for the mere sum of $2,400. *And they agreed the box
was dead*. The lady protested; saying that $2,400 seemed a lot of
money to yank out the old box, especially since nothing was going in
its place provided by the phone company.

After asking around, she found an independent workman willing to
remove the box for $300, and was about to tell him to go ahead with
the work when two people from Bell stopped by to see her, to warn that
if any lines were broken or damaged, she would have to pay $70 for the
repair of each. She said she thought $70 was rather outrageous for the
repair of useless, dead lines, but the guys from Bell said in fact the
lines were alive. They did agree to reduce their price and remove the
box for 'only $1800', and completely indemnify her against damages or
disruption of service which might occur in the process.

Her independent workman took another look and confirmed what Bell had
said: The box was in fact alive, and nearly 500 working pairs were
terminated inside.  Together they went back to Bell, and got the price
for removal of the box negotiated down to only $1200.

The lady said she had no intention of paying *anything* to take it
out. And really, can you blame her? Finally with no place else to
turn, she went to see the house's former owner; the fellow who had run
the answering service.  He said he thought Illinois Bell had been
granted an easement to have the box there.

And now the matter becomes even more mysterious. The lady went to the
village hall and spoke to Lockport officials herself; and yes, they
said, Illinois Bell *does* have an easement to that room in your
house. They were unable, however, to show her a signed document from
the previous owner giving easement rights to Bell. Tbe former owner
insists he never signed anything; he claims they put the box in when
he started the answering service back in the middle 1950's; and he
claims he can't remember ever giving Bell permanent squatting rights
there.

After continued negotiations, IBT still insists it needs $1200 to
remove its equipment and give up its easement rights. In the meantime,
the lady won't budge, and she is living there with a Pandora's Box
filled with legal ramifications for a 'roomate'. The search goes on
for an official record of the easement with someone's signature on it.
I suspect if and when it is found it will be the signature of the
former owner. The contractor hired by the woman has identified a dozen
businesses and several dozen residences in the vicinity which show up
on terminals in the box.

I think eventually if an easement record cannot be located, IBT will
have to bite the dust and relocate the whole thing at thier expense.
The woman has said if the easement *is* found, and it contains the
signature of the former owner, she will sue him if necessary to make
him pay for the removal.

In the meantime if something goes wrong and Bell has to visit the box?
Well, let's hope the woman isn't asleep, in the bathroom or otherwise
'indisposed' when her 'roomates' visitors show up!

Patrick Townson

 Subject: Re: Telco As a 'Housemate'
 Date: Mon, 27 Feb 89 12:40:48 -0500
 From: Joel B Levin <l...@bbn.com>

If I were that lady, and IBT came to the door because they needed
access to work on one of the lines that came to that box, I would give
it to them -- as soon as they showed me the document granting telco
the easement.  Not before.

Another tack--

Is there some way a noisy electrical device (an old refrigerator or
something) next to the box might cause noticeable noise on the lines?
That also might provide some impetus for them to move the box (or
really make it dead).  After all, they can't tell her what she can or
can't have in some corner of her den.

        /JBL

 From: Mark Brukhartz <laidbak!...@buita.bu.edu>
 Subject: Re: On Having Telco As a 'Housemate'
 Date: 1 Mar 89 19:16:45 GMT
 Organization: Lachman Associates, Inc., Naperville, IL

This woman ought to consult a real estate attorney without delay. I
believe that her seller was responsible for conveying a clear title to
the property, including a written description of any easements. He (or
his title insurance company) are probably responsible for Illinois
Bell's claim of easement.

I understand that uncontested use of a property will mature into
permanent rights after some (forgotten) interval.

                        Mark Brukhartz
                        Lachman Associates, Inc.
                        ..!{amdahl, masscomp, nucsrl, sun}!laidbak!mdb

 From: John Allred <ames!mailrus!BBN.COM!jall...@uunet.uu.net>
 Subject: Re: On Having Telco As a 'Housemate'
 Date: 2 Mar 89 16:40:10 GMT
 Reply-To: John Allred <ames!mailrus!vax.bbn.com!jall...@uunet.uu.net>
 Organization: Bolt Beranek and Newman Inc., Cambridge MA

In article <telecom-v09i0077...@vector.UUCP> laidbak!...@buita.bu.edu

(Mark Brukhartz) writes:
> This woman ought to consult a real estate attorney without delay. I
> believe that her seller was responsible for conveying a clear title to
> the property, including a written description of any easements. He (or
> his title insurance company) are probably responsible for Illinois
> Bell's claim of easement.
> I understand that uncontested use of a property will mature into
> permanent rights after some (forgotten) interval.

I think the interval is 20 years for "adverse use" of property.  Your
mileage may vary.

John Allred
BBN Systems and Technologies Corp.
(jall...@bbn.com)

 From: Darren Griffiths <d...@ux1.lbl.gov>
 Subject: Re: On Having Telco As a 'Housemate'
 Date: 4 Mar 89 01:13:09 GMT
 Reply-To: Darren Griffiths <d...@lbl.gov>
 Organization: Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, Berkeley

It seems like it should be pretty easy to get the box removed.  Simply
have the lady go down to Radio Shack and buy a line kit that can be
connected straight to the punch down block that's probably in the box.
Whenever she has some spare time try a few of the lines, see who's
talking and interrupt them.  If they aren't to angry at someone
listening to their phone calls then she could explain the situation
and have them call IBT.  If they are angry I'm sure they'll call IBT
anyway.

Darren Griffiths              D...@LBL.GOV
Lawrence Berkeley Labs
Information and Computing Sciences Division                

                          -----------

And there you have it ... the story which appeared here over two years
ago. I had forgotten one detail: The box was not in her bedroom, but
actually in the room she wanted to use as a den.

PAT

	
 Lars Poulsen 	  Nov 16 1991, 6:34 am     show options
 Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
 From: l...@cmc.com (Lars Poulsen) - Find messages by this author
 Date: 15 Nov 91 18:58:35 GMT
 Local: Fri, Nov 15 1991 2:58 pm
 Subject: Re: On Having Telco as a Housemate (was Question Easement)
 Reply to Author 
PAT,

        Don't leave us hanging like that: Did that lady ever get the
box removed?

Lars Poulsen, SMTS Software Engineer
CMC Rockwell  l...@CMC.COM

[Moderator's Note: I don't know. I never followed up on it. If someone
wants to do so, I'll be glad to run a followup story.   PAT]



[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: And that is where things stand,
seventeen years after the article first appeared here. In my
recollection of this yesterday, I recalled it as being Joliet;
Joliet and Lockport are next door to each other, 'sister-cities'
so to speak. Pardon me if my memory is a bit hazy after all these
years, even if I was the person to write it first here in 1989. If
anyone wants to follow up on this, it _would_ make an interesting
report. By now, I imagine the house has long been sold, maybe even
a couple of times since the lady lived there who first brought it
to our attention. Since I am no longer around the area at all,
there is no way I can investigate it further. My offer of a 
followup story still stands.   PAT]

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