justbits
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May 18th, @05:58AM
|  OT: Satellite dish attached to utility pole?
Does anyone know of any Chicago, Cook County, Illinois or Federal laws or ordinances a person is breaking when they attach a satellite dish to a public utility pole?
One of my neighbors has a satellite dish attached to the public utility pole. The satellite dish is preventing the telephone company from removing a bridge tap on my DSL/telephone line. The bridge tap was identified as the problem that is causing me to get periodic loss of DSL sync (noise on the line) and significant losses in signal quality between particular hours of the day (much lower maximum attainable rates than just a few months ago).
I know that public utility poles are private property... I just can't seem to find what laws apply.
Thanks! |
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alfnoid
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 ·Comcast
| Re: Satellite dish attached to public utility pole
ComEd most likely owns the pole although things are sometimes done differently in the city limits.
I would say that if it needed to be moved by ComEd it would be on the ground in about 2 seconds.
So call up ComEd and see what they have to say about it.
peace |
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Dennis
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| reply to justbits
Re: Satellite dish attached to public utility pole?!!
said by justbits  :The satellite dish is preventing the telephone company from removing a bridge tap on my DSL/telephone line. what....that doesn't make any sense.
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justbits
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| Re: Satellite dish attached to public utility pole
The report said that the telephone pole service technician could not climb the telephone pole to complete the removal of a bridge tap on my telephone line. There isn't enough room to get a bucket truck between the houses to reach above the satelite dish. I've seen it... the satellite dish is attached at the height where a ladder would rest against the telephone pole. The technican could not go over or around the satellite dish to reach the metal ladder feet that are embedded in the telephone pole. |
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RadioDoc
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| It's illegal to attach things to property you don't own/lease or have an easement for. ComEd would certainly NOT grant such a lease or easement for a satellite dish. Their legal department would never allow it.
SBC is a tenant on the pole and cannot do anything about what is on the pole which is not theirs. What you were told sounds plausible.
Call ComEd, ask for repair, and tell them about the dish. They will deal with it. If there is a transformer on the pole they'll probably deal with it the day you call. |
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Old_Grouch
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edit:
May 16th, @01:12PM
| reply to justbits
Re: Satellite dish attached to public utility pole?!!
I agree with RadioDoc that ComEd likely did not grant approval for anyone to attach a satellite dish to their pole. But, RadioDoc and I go about life differently. I would not let SBC off the hook that easily.
Your problem is with service from SBC. Why they are unable to provide a timely resolution to your problem is their problem - - not yours. If you start to intervene on their behalf, they have an excuse for not providing the timely remedy they owe you. And, you are liable to run in circles between ComEd, the satellite company, your neighbor, SBC.... Don't go there.
Ask what they (SBC) will do next and when. If they have closed your trouble ticket (they are measured on such things), then insist they open another (they are measured on repeat problems too) and not close it until your problem with their service is cared for. Be polite and don't hesitate to ask for a supervisor - - that's why they make the big bucks.
If you don't find a sympathetic ear at SBC, you can always visit the Illinois Commerce Commission and file an informal complaint at
»www.icc.state.il.us/ci/consumerservices.aspx
I doubt you'll need the ICC if you merely push gently.
good luck!
Mike |
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Corona
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edit:
May 16th, @01:18PM
| reply to justbits
Re: Satellite dish attached to public utility pole
DSL is not a FCC measured service. If this were impeding POTS service, then I would expect SBC to find some way, since they are legally obligated to provide the service.
Basically, it's not SBC's pole, it's not impeding POTS service, so they don't have to fight it if they don't want to. Is it possible ComEd has allowed someone to put their dish there? Not likely - but it shouldn't be up to SBC to find that out. For all you know the guy who owns the dish is buddy buddy with a higher up at ComEd.
Keep pestering SBC about it, and they could deny service because your loop won't support DSL.
Boy, it'd be a real shame if, in the middle of the night, someone ripped the satellite dish off that pole and it found it's way into a landfill.
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justbits
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| reply to Old_Grouch
Com Ed suggested calling 311 to find out what the City of Chicago can do about it. I'll probably do that later. Com Ed said they would send someone out to verify if the mounting was done on the "easement" or whether it is illegally installed. I told them that it was preventing telephone service maintenance and that it is very low on the pole... something has to be done about it.
I'm definitely going to be a squeaky wheel for the next couple of days for Com Ed & SBC POTS. SBC DSL's hands are tied... they can call the same people I'm calling, but I'm sure it has a little more weight when the customer is complaining and not one utility to another. For now, I'm not too worried about taking charge of the matter because it seems that pathways to the solution of this problem are accessible to me. |
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jm5501
join:2003-12-24
Merrillville, IN | reply to justbits
Re: Satellite dish attached to public utility pole?!!
Can we get a picture?  |
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justbits
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Chicago, IL | Re: Satellite dish attached to public utility pole
Sure, I'll see if I can snap a pic... if SBC or ComEd haven't forced the customer to take action yet. |
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RadioDoc
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| reply to Old_Grouch
Re: Satellite dish attached to public utility pole?!!
said by Old_Grouch :I would not let SBC off the hook that easily. I'm not letting them "off the hook" either, but there is only so much they can do if they do not own the pole. SBC's responsibility in this case ends at marking this account "unservicable" if access is denied. If ComEd owns the pole, then it's ComEd's call on whether to nuke the dish or not. If it is a city pole, then it's time to talk to the Alderman. SBC has no legal right to remove property they do not own from the pole.
An ICC complaint filed about this will go into the round file.
justbits can sit and wait, or be proactive by notifying the city and ComEd of the problem with the illegal dish installation. Your advice is plain wrong. |
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Zupper
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join:2002-12-28
Novelty, OH | reply to justbits
Have you tried just asking the neighbor to relocate the dish, or at least temporarily remove it until SBC can do its thing? |
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Hall
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Dayton, OH
| reply to justbits
Re: Satellite dish attached to public utility pole
said by justbits :Com Ed suggested calling 311 to find out what the City of Chicago can do about it. Who owns the pole, the city or your power company ?? In every area I know of, the power company does...
I'm sure ComEd has "branches" where the same guys/girls cover certain areas so look for one in your neighborhood. Chances are, they're familiar with it and if not, just ask them what's the rule or policy on mounting sat dishes to their poles. I assure, in 99.9% of the case, it's absolutely not allowed. |
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Hall
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join:2000-04-28
Dayton, OH
| reply to Zupper
Nothing says the dish and pole are near his house or that he'd know the "owner". You really can't move a sat dish "temporarily" either... Then again, no satellite installer would have mounted that there, so this is a DIY job.
justbits: I hope you're there when ComEd "takes care" of this problem. I imagine it will involve (2) tools, a pair of (wire) cutters and a small sledge hammer.  I can't imagine them taking it down "properly", especially if it was put up illegally. |
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justbits
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Chicago, IL | reply to Zupper
I believe the SBC telephone pole tech left a note on their door. |
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justbits
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| reply to jm5501
Re: Satellite dish attached to public utility pole?!!
Here's that crazy dish on a pole...
DishOnPole
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plowjockey7
join:2004-01-31
Findlay, OH
| Re: Satellite dish attached to public utility pole
looks scarey to me! Around here, if you don't OWN the pole, you can't put NOTHING on it, not even a garge sale sign. Plain and simple illegal. Now, out in the rural areas,..ya know, where there may be one or two utility poles going up a long lane, across a barnyard, well,..there may be an exception, but this don't look like it's too rural to me, expecially with multiple lines on the pole. Wirecutters and hammer, plus a fine in this state! |
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scarney
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| reply to justbits
wow, whoever mounted that has some balls using someone elses property for his damn tv. i hope he ends up getting a juicy fine or something for this..what an ass!
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drmorley
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Step stool + Louisville Slugger + running shoes = problem solved. |
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Dennis
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Algonquin, IL | reply to justbits
Re: Satellite dish attached to public utility pole?!!
oh god....oh sweet lord...tell me that isn't a Dish Network satellite dish....
the irony would kill me |
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