Telephone switch capacity

Please be aware that the current capacity of the
telephone system in the United States (and for that matter,
most of the developed world) is only capable of supporting
between 15 and 20 percent simultaneous telephone
conversations.  If the FBI wishes to set up a system that is
capable of monitoring 1% of the total number of lines, that
equates to a ability to tap 5%, not 1% of all calls in progress.

>As the FBI's "interest" shifts from area to area, the whole
>country could rapidly come under the 1% surveillance
>directive.
>1.5 million telephone intercepts.  Or more.

								-=- Noah

Noah Brodbeck writes:
 > 	Please be aware that the current capacity of the
 > telephone system in the United States (and for that matter,
 > most of the developed world) is only capable of supporting
 > between 15 and 20 percent simultaneous telephone
 > conversations.  If the FBI wishes to set up a system that is
 > capable of monitoring 1% of the total number of lines, that
 > equates to a ability to tap 5%, not 1% of all calls in progress.
 > 

According to an article that was out on the AP newswire (check under
<URL:http://http://www1.trib.com/WIRE/CURRENT/>), the "1%" figure
applies to actual capacity.  In other words, if there's a switch with
50K subscribers but actual capacity for 5K simultaneous calls, the FBI
wants to be able to make 50 simultaneous taps.

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| Nobody's going to listen to you if you just | Mike McNally (m5@tivoli.com) |
| stand there and flap your arms like a fish. | Tivoli Systems, Austin TX    |
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