On Fri, Jan 30, 2009 at 10:45:11AM +0000, Michael Simpson wrote: > > now we just need to work out how to get BT to replace the rotten > copper in the POTS system -used to get 1.4Mbs, now getting a flaky > 300Kbs down (yet 800 up!) and BT's response was to decrease the "fault > report level". Utilities here in Northeast USA are famous for not wanting to upgrade infrastructure until they get a law passed/tariff changed that allows them to assess the customers directly for the costs. One of the best upgrades Philadelphia ever got was when a fire inside a tunnel took out almost all of the "wire" that connected that city to the ROW. You may have to contact a local, nearly destitute contractor for some "midnight backhoe service" ... (kidding, not a good idea.) There is an excellent book titled "The Power struggle" which goes over the (colorful) history of how power utilities manipulate and control their customers to increase their profits while simultaneously making sure those same profits don't show up in the accounting.. Its a very unequal struggle. the power companies hire full time legal professionals to manipulate the utilities commissions and the other side is populated by a people who have keep their day job and have little money to spare on the same effort. (compared to the millions the power companies will spend). The same dynamics apply to the telecom and cable utilities. But not to the highway system. That area has an entirely different set of issues.. :-) JK