Sit too close to the TV set, and you'll go blind. Play that music too loud, and you'll go deaf. Leave the telephone network unprotected, and you may not have a phone network that you can rely on. Just like overbearing parents, telcos aren't shy about using scare tactics to have things their way. Back in the monopoly era, Ma Bell repeatedly sent out the "potential harm to the network" alert to keep the gates to the telco kingdom closed and locked. The all-too-familiar warning—first used to try to keep non-AT & T phones from being connected to the U.S. monopoly network—is being dragged out of the closet, dusted off, and applied anew by incumbent local service providers. Telcos are playing the "potential harm" card in response to requests—or rather, demands—to make their local lines, operational support systems, and other network elements available for competitors' use. They're ready to sound that alarm even more loudly as competitors try to pry open advanced intelligent network (AIN) databases and even central-office switch controls. The question is, could they be right this time?
展开▼
