Fiber cut in SF area

Sat Apr 11 17:50:20 UTC 2009

Jo? wrote:
> I'm confussed, but please pardon the ignorance.
> All the data centers we have are at minimum keys to access
> data areas. Not that every area of fiber should have such, but
> at least should they? Manhole covers "can" be keyed. For those of
> you arguing that this is not enough, I would say at least it?s a start.

That is an option, but it doesn't address the real problem.

The real problem is route redundancy.  This is what the original contract
from DARPA to BBM, to create the Internet, was about!  "The net" was
created to enable communications bttn point A and point B in this exact
scenario.

No one should be surprised that ATT would cut-corners on critical
infrastructure. The good news is that this incident will likely result in
increased Federal scrutiny if not regulation.  We know how spectacularly
energy and banking deregulation failed.  Is that mistake being repeated
with telecommunications?

The bad news is that some of the $16M/yr ATT spends lobbying Congress (for
things like fighting number portability and getting a free pass on illegal
domestic surveillance) will likely be redirected to ask for money to "fix"
the problem they created.  This assumes ATT is as badly managed, and the US
FCC and DHS are better managed, than has been the case for the last 8
years.  Time will tell.

For a good "man in the street" perspective of how the outage effected
things like a pharmacy's ability to fill subscriptions and a university
computer's ability to boot check out a couple of shows broadcast on KUSP
(Santa Cruz Public Radio) this morning:

   http://www.jivamedia.com/askdrdawn/askdrdawn.php

   http://geekspeak.org/

Roger Marquis