No Godzilla Boxes!

Some find AT&T cable boxes in Alameda unsightly - Inside Bay Area

2010-02-05T05:20:00.000-08:00

Some find AT&T cable boxes in Alameda unsightly - Inside Bay Area

"Alameda brings in a lot of business because of the charming period houses and associated aesthetics. Homeowners spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to restore and keep up these houses not just for themselves, but for all of Alameda," said Alameda Avenue resident Pat Payne, who wrote the Journal about a box to be placed there. "The City Council and AT&T seem to be ignoring this; there is something terribly wrong with this lack of sensitivity."

The company has the legal right to place the cabinets in the public right-of-way on sidewalks, for example, but its deal with the city says they have to try to come to an agreement with neighbors over the placement of cabinets if there is a dispute. If the neighbors and the company can't resolve the placement of a cabinet, the city could ask AT&T to put it elsewhere.

Residents and business owners who are within 300 feet of where the cabinets are being installed will receive letters from AT&T detailing the work to take place and containing a photo of what the cabinet will look like. The letters contain a phone number people can call if they have questions about or problems with the placement of a cabinet.

Tustin’s turn: Why AT&T U-verse isn’t happening here yet - Alt+Save with the Gadgetress - OCRegister.com#more-17511

2009-07-17T07:03:00.000-07:00

Tustin’s turn: Why AT&T U-verse isn’t happening here yet - Alt+Save with the Gadgetress - OCRegister.com#more-17511:

"The city has other issues it wants resolved before greenlighting the rest of the project, said Elizabeth Binsack, Tustin’s communicty development director, who invited me to view the presentation given about AT&T and given to the Planning Commission and City Council.

“I gotta tell you, the sites we looked at in our walk, some were conflicting with line of sight, some were in the spot of trees and fire hydrants. I don’t think they looked at those sites at all. We did,” Binsack said.

Other issues:

AT&T's plan to install 93 utility cabinets in Tustin included underneath this tree. City officials stand next to mock AT&T box. Photo from city of Tustin.

1. AT&T’s unwillingness to move these boxes to less obtrusive areas, such as the back of the park instead of smack dab in the middle, or off the edge of the sidewalk and into the landscaping (see photo on right and below). ”We haven’t heard back from AT&T,” she said.

2. U-verse isn’t as advanced as Verizon FiOS, which instead of offering fiber optic technology to the middle of a neighborhood, builds the fiber all the way to the house. (”What if we end up with 93 boxes that are obselete?” Binsack wondered.)

3. Safety, not for the box, but the public. ”Forgetting the issue of safety (of the box), but personal safety. In Houston, a U-verse box blew up. It melted the guy’s garage,” she said, handing me the articles to prove it."

Alderman Doesn't Like Sight Of 'U-Verse' Boxes

2009-07-17T06:57:00.000-07:00

Journal & Topics Newspapers Online: "Alderman Doesn't Like Sight Of 'U-Verse' Boxes

Representatives from AT&T at the Committee of the Whole meeting on Monday, July 13 answered questions about installing the required boxes for the U-Verse cable system proposed for Park Ridge.

The company's legal department stated they believe they do not have to pay building permit fees for the 36 connection boxes it needs to serve the city. Review and permit fees would total $36,000. However, the company offered the city $1,500 per box it could spend on landscaping around the boxes, an offer of $54,000. In addition, going forward, AT&T will pay the city 6% of its gross revenue from Park Ridge residents.

Ald. Jim Allegretti (4th) spoke against the connection boxes that are frequently located in municipality parkways, calling them 'unsightly and unsafe.' He also asked if residents could request the box be placed in the rear yard instead of the front."

More protests about AT&T's U-Verse deployments: Those ugly boxes - FierceTelecom

2009-02-13T10:34:00.000-08:00

More protests about AT&T's U-Verse deployments: Those ugly boxes - FierceTelecom: "Citizens in North Carolina and Indiana are petitioning their local governments to stop AT&T's from installing large Video Ready Access boxes for its U-Verse service in their neighborhoods. The citizens claim the boxes are noisy and unsightly, and that the installation process creates a mess. David and Wendy Hostetler, of Belmont, N.C., hired lawyer Jim Windham to argue that the box installation would detract from the historic quality of the neighborhood. AT&T stopped installation on that box, according to the Hostetlers. The Belmont Public Works Committee will explore the U-Verse installation at a meeting this week.

In a separate incident, the Evanston City Council (Ind.) voted to issue a statement to AT&T to ask the telco to cease installations of the boxes in the city until it could form an oversight committee. Evanston residents had complained about the noise and prominent size of the boxes."

AT&T boxes irk Wilmette residents

2008-12-01T07:34:00.000-08:00

November 27, 2008
By KEN GOZE kgoze@pioneerlocal.com

Wilmette residents living near new AT&T equipment boxes are protesting the construction of cabinets they say are too large and obtrusive, but village officials say there's nothing they can do to stop the installations after the company won exemptions to state utility regulations to offer a new Internet-based video service.

AT&T has planned 43 'video ready access devices' throughout the village that will serve as junctions between the company's fiber optic system and homes subscribing to U-verse TV, a new service being billed as a high-power alternative to cable television.

Homeowners living near the new installations say they only recently learned about them, and believe the bulky cabinets will damage the appearance of their neighborhoods and diminish property values.
George Vincent, who lives on the corner of Seventh Street and Greenleaf Avenue, said he learned what was happening in recent weeks when he stopped to talk with a contractor installing a 5-foot by 12-foot concrete pad in the parkway near his home. It will ultimately hold a cabinet that is about 5 feet high, 2.5 feet wide and 4 feet long.

'This whole thing really stinks,' Vincent said. 'AT&T has cut some kind of deal in Springfield and I think it's going to devalue my property. It's on the town parkway but at the same token, why couldn't they put it underground or up in the alley where utilities belong?'"

ESCONDIDO: Postcard campaign targets AT&T cable boxes : North County Times - Californian

2008-11-08T17:34:00.000-08:00

ESCONDIDO: Postcard campaign targets AT&T cable boxes : North County Times - Californian:

"ESCONDIDO ---- An anonymous postcard campaign in Escondido is urging residents to protest AT&T's ongoing effort to install hundreds of large cable TV boxes across the city.

The postcards describe the boxes as 'enormous' and characterize AT&T as a company that puts profit above community appearance. But AT&T officials said Monday that the postcards contain 'misinformation' and 'scare tactics.'

City officials agreed Monday that the postcards are misleading because they feature photographs of significantly taller boxes than those being installed in Escondido.

It is not known how many residents have received the postcards, but employees in the city clerk's office said they have received roughly 30 phone calls about the cards in recent weeks. The cards urge residents to contact City Hall about the boxes."

Maybe it's just us, but a 48" inch high box is still REALLY BIG! Do you want one in front of YOUR house? OCNA

SF Says, "NO!" To Godzilla Boxes

2008-08-14T13:22:00.000-07:00

Utility-box plan hits a snag - Examiner.com: "SAN FRANCISCO (Map, News) - Proponents call it 21st-century technology. Opponents call it 19th-century packaging.

Whatever you call it, it won’t be showing up on your street corner in the form of a refrigerator-size metal box — not yet, at least.

Telecom giant AT&T withdrew its application to place 850 large utility boxes housing fiber-optic technology on sidewalks across The City, a move made after it became clear that a hearing at the Board of Supervisors was not going the company’s way.

The boxes were to have housed technology for the company’s Project Lightspeed, which would bring cable television, broadband Internet and phone service to residents via fiber-optic cables.

Though the idea of rallying some competition with Comcast — the largest cable provider in The City — has proven popular, the boxes have not.

Neighborhood groups whose residents have paid big bucks to force utilities underground on their streets argue that the large boxes would be ugly, hazardous graffiti magnets.

“We have nothing against the new technology,” David Crony, president of the Cole Valley Improvement Association, told supervisors. “But supervisors, this beautiful city and all our plans for improving its streets will be seriously threatened if we sanction the installation of up to 850 of these enormous, industrial-grade boxes on our sidewalks.”"

New Haven Independent: U-Verse Boxes Rattle Neighbors

2008-07-18T12:36:00.000-07:00

New Haven Independent: U-Verse Boxes Rattle Neighbors:

"With millions of dollars of equipment at stake, AT&T has vowed to wipe off any graffiti from new utility boxes like this one.

The pledge comes as the city works to combat a graffiti “epidemic” plaguing neighborhoods.
The city wants your help holding the company accountable by reporting any graffiti on the new AT&T equipment called V-rad, or U-verse boxes.

Neighbors across the city have objected to the new additions to their blocks. A woman on Howard Avenue in the Hill grumbled that the box blocked her window view and kept her up at night. An East Rock woman successfully lobbied to get the utility box moved further down Edwards Street so it wouldn’t sit right outside her studio."

"It's only a matter of time before someone gets hurt"

2008-07-10T07:11:00.000-07:00

Derby getting a hang-up on AT&T boxes - The Connecticut Post Online: "DERBY — City officials are adding their voices to the chorus of protests against AT&T since the telecommunications giant started installing large boxes on telephone poles to accommodate one of its newest services.
The metal boxes — as high as 6 feet tall and almost 3 feet wide — are used to provide AT&T's 'U-verse' high-speed Internet and enhanced cable television service. The company began installing the 'V-rad' boxes several months ago at the base of telephone poles, where they can get in the way of pedestrians, city officials said.

'Some of them take up half of the sidewalk,' Mayor Anthony Staffieri said. 'We are asking them to take them down and relocate them somewhere else.' About a year and a half ago, AT&T introduced its 'U-verse' digital cable television, telephone and Internet service. The boxes bring together fiber optic and copper cables that deliver a signal into customers' homes; each provides service to between 250 and 400 customers. But soon after the boxes began appearing, many began complaining about both their appearance and potential safety hazard they create.

'It's only a matter of time before someone gets hurt,' Staffieri said, labeling the boxes a 'monstrosity' that he said force 'people to walk around them' into the street. There have been no reports of any safety problems with the boxes, AT&T spokesman David Mancuso said. If there were, the company would immediately take action to correct any problems, he said."

PROOF NEEDED, NOT PROMISES, THAT AT&T IS FOLLOWING THE LAW

2008-05-29T11:35:00.000-07:00

NHRegister.com: "State seeks locations of U-verse cabinets
By Luther Turmelle, North Bureau Chief

HARTFORD — State Attorney General Richard Blumenthal is asking state utility regulators to require AT&T to identify the location of about 2,000 equipment cabinets on utility polls that are part of the company’s U-verse system.

Some communities have complained that the refrigerator-sized cabinets are eyesores and may be a safety risk.

Blumenthal made his request in a formal motion filed Wednesday, one day after the Department of Public Utility Control issued a ruling requiring AT&T to get municipal approval before it installs any of the equipment cabinets — known as V-RAD (video ready access device) boxes — on utility polls.
The ruling also requires the company to go back and obtain the necessary approvals for those boxes that have already been installed, including getting approvals from adjacent property owners."

“The DPUC must rely on proof, not promises, that AT&T is following the law,” Blumenthal said.

PROPERTY OWNERS WIN AGAINST AT&T

2008-05-28T16:43:00.000-07:00

AT&T Hits State Roadblock In U-Verse Box Installation -- -- Courant.com: "AT&T must get the permission of abutting landowners and municipalities before it can install utility boxes for its new U-verse television service, the Connecticut Department of Public Utility Control said in a decision released Tuesday.

The telecommunications giant has been installing the refrigerator-sized boxes in areas where U-verse, which competes with cable TV, is available.

Attorney General Richard Blumenthal had filed complaints with the DPUC saying state law requires consent from abutting property owners when modifications are made to the public right-of-way."

OVER 100 GODZILLA BOXES SLATED FOR MISSION VIEJO

2008-05-22T19:18:00.000-07:00

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/city-public-existing-2047531-internet-ordinance: "MISSION VIEJO – The City Council on Monday updated an ordinance outlining procedures that utilities and communications companies must follow when they apply for permits and install equipment in the public right-of-way.

Changes to the ordinance are essentially an enhanced meet-and-confer process and more detailed development standards, said City Attorney Bill Curley.

An agenda document states the urgency ordinance was needed because it will eliminate potential delays in the processing of permit applications from companies that would provide vital services to the public.
The update to an existing city law was developed with representatives from the city and AT&T, who gave a short presentation during the Council meeting.

Mark Leslie, AT&T vice president of external affairs in San Diego, told the council about the company's plan to apply for permits to build street-level cabinets in Mission Viejo — part of an effort to improve Internet service.

AT&T plans to push fiber-optic cables within 3,000 to 5,000 feet of many existing neighborhoods and new developments, said Leslie. The company is investing up to $1 billion in California for a service that would enhance video and voice over the Internet service, as well as high speed Internet access. The upgraded network would connect to existing copper lines into homes.

Leslie estimated that the upgrade requires placing about 107 new street-level cabinets in the public right-of-way.

Right-of-ways include public streets, medians, parkways, or other areas used for travel by vehicles, pedestrians or horses."

Utility box clamor | Santa Rosa Press Democrat // News for California's North Bay and Redwood Empire

2008-04-07T19:08:00.000-07:00

Utility box clamor Santa Rosa Press Democrat // News for California's North Bay and Redwood Empire: "Utility box clamor
AT&T, Comcast upgrades causing disruption, leaving eyesores
By NATHAN HALVERSON
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT

There is an ugly side to the future of communication in Sonoma County, and for some Santa Rosa residents it is already located on their front yards.

Large utility boxes are being placed on residential properties across Santa Rosa as AT&T rolls out its next-generation TV and Internet services.AT&T plans similar construction for other cities in Sonoma County including Petaluma, Cotati and Rohnert Park."

News: AT&T sues Mission Viejo over rights to install new equipment | city, community, access, technology, curley - OCRegister.com

2008-03-15T14:02:00.000-07:00

http://www.ocregister.com/news/city-community-access-1997792-technology-curley: "MISSION VIEJO - In a case of technology versus community aesthetics, AT&T today sued the city, contending it is violating the California Public Utilities Code by not giving AT&T access to install telecommunications equipment.

The complaint contends that AT&T has for more than a year tried to gain right-of-way access to install technology necessary for 'Lightspeed' – a program to enhance its network, improve telephone lines, improved broadband and higher-speed Internet access. This system is being planned for installation in many other cities. AT&T says that a recently enacted emergency ordinance by the city denies the company access and prevents the upgrade to its program."

Real Estate Group Puts U-Verse Under Fire - 2/15/2008 12:52:00 PM - Multichannel News

2008-02-19T22:17:00.000-08:00

Real Estate Group Puts U-Verse Under Fire - 2/15/2008 12:52:00 PM - Multichannel News:

“These large U-verse cabinets have been proven to be hazardous from their early roll-out stages,” said NAREB president Maria Kong in a statement.

"The National Association of Real Estate Brokers has asked attorney generals in the five states in which AT&T Inc. has launched its U-verse services to investigate fires related to AT&T equipment.

The trade group called for the action to “preserve the public's safety and prevent further harm to property.”

Earlier this year, AT&T acknowledged problems with lithium batteries in 17,000 equipment vaults around the country. The most recent incident was a cabinet explosion and fire on Christmas morning in Wauwatosa, Wisc."

AT&T is not being transparent about exploding cabinets - Small Business Times

2008-02-10T17:38:00.000-08:00

AT&T is not being transparent about exploding cabinets - Small Business Times: "AT&T's cabinets that are placed in the rights of way of the community members of the Regional Telecommunication Commission present a significant danger to our citizens.

The safety issue relates to explosions and fires in at least four cabinets that are being caused by defective batteries manufactured by a now bankrupt company. On Dec. 24, 2007, one of your cabinets exploded in Wauwatosa. If the cabinet had been next to a wooden building, not a brick building, there would have been a major fire.

There may be many more incidents than the one in Wauwatosa, two in Houston and one in Cleveland. This is because you have not been transparent regarding this safety issue.
AT&T has been lucky that no one has been killed or injured in the residential areas where you have located these cabinets."

AT&T Batteries "Hazardous Waste"

2008-01-23T14:10:00.000-08:00

JS Online: AT&T replacing batteries: "'It's no small task. But on the other hand, AT&T can't take too long because there could be other incidents,' said industry consultant Kermit Ross, principal of Millennium Marketing in Frisco, Texas.

'It's going to be ugly. These batteries have to be handled as hazardous waste. They're supposed to be put back in their original packing material. . . you can't just drop them off at the local landfill.'

AT&T could have saved a lot of money if it had stopped using the Avestor batteries immediately after the Houston explosion in 2006, according to Ross."

Fires and explosions forcing AT&T to replace batteries in its street-side cable boxes

2008-01-17T05:13:00.000-08:00

Cleveland Metro News – The Latest Breaking News, Photos and Stories from The Plain Dealer

Fires forcing AT&T to replace batteries in its street-side cable boxes - Cleveland Metro News – The Latest Breaking News, Photos and Stories from The Plain Dealer:

"The big metal boxes that have showed up on tree lawns around the region to help AT&T provide cable service have a flaw that can make them catch fire.

After four boxes around the country -- including one in Strongsville -- exploded or burst into flame, AT&T has decided to replace the backup batteries believed to be the problem.

About 17,000 street-side cabinets for AT&T's U-Verse cable system will have the batteries replaced soon, according to company spokespeople. Though the problem batteries are in only 'some' of AT&T's boxes, according to a written statement from AT&T, spokesman Bob Beasely could not say how many are in Ohio.

A box caught fire on Misty Lake Drive in Strongsville on the afternoon of Sept. 17, according to the Strongsville Fire Department. Sgt. Frank Nosal said records do not indicate any damage other than to the box. The cause was not determined."

AT&T's TV Efforts Smolder

2008-01-16T20:13:00.000-08:00

AT&T's TV Efforts Smolder - News & Analysis - Technology - DTV - T:

"AT&T's sputtering video effort, known as U-Verse, has been hit with a literally explosive setback.

Ma Bell has had four incidents involving smoldering batteries and, in at least one case, an explosion in one of the thousands of network cabinets used for its TV delivery systems, according to a report in telecom trade publication Light Reading."

Watch this video and get the straight story from The Street.com

http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1243645856/bctid1378335954

Wauwatosa residents had expressed safety concerns over AT$T cabinets | Save Access

2008-01-15T15:42:00.000-08:00

WI: Wauwatosa residents had expressed safety concerns over AT$T cabinets Save Access:
Wauwatosa residents had expressed safety concerns over AT&T cabinets

"Nearly a year before the recent explosion of an AT&T VRAD cabinet in Wauwatosa Wisconsin, some local residents had expressed safety concerns about the large boxes. At a February 12, 2007, City Planning Commission Meeting, residents opposed the installation of a VRAD box and had sent emails and information to the Commission making specific reference to the fires and explosions in Houston Texas.
At the Hearing, a local attorney representing AT&T 'addressed the concerns of the emails regarding an AT&T cabinet that had exploded in Houston, Texas. He said that the explosion was one incident out of all the cabinets that have been installed and AT&T is investigating the situation. He indicated that last month there were two sites where the fiber conversion cabinets were located in the city right-of-way. They have been trying to move as many sites as possible into easements with property owners. In this particular location the cabinet is going to be moved at the request of the property owner to a new location that will be in the same area, but further from the sidewalk'. Ironically, the location in this instance, 2186 N. 74th Street, turned out to be only ten blocks from the AT&T VRAD cabinet that exploded Dec. 25, 2007."

AT&T ADMITS FOURTH GODZILLA BOX FIRE NEAR CLEVELAND, OH

2008-01-15T06:50:00.000-08:00

Light Reading - Broadband - AT&T Begins Massive Battery Replacement - Telecom News Analysis: "But wait... there's more
AT&T now admits it had two more incidents before the end of 2007 -- one small fire in an equipment cabinet and one cabinet explosion. The small fire occured in one of AT&T's cabinets near Cleveland, the carrier says, though it won't elaborate on the location."

Police car rolls on Godzillabox fire & explosion in Wauwatosa, WI

ANOTHER AT&T GODZILLA BOX EXPLODES IN WISCONSIN!

2008-01-14T21:48:00.000-08:00

Your World Delivered . . . On Fire Save Access: "Your World Delivered . . . On Fire
Posted on January 12, 2008 - 9:59am.

Another AT&T U-verse VRAD Cabinet Explodes

In the early hours of Christmas morning, an AT&T VRAD cabinet (DSLAM) exploded in the city of Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. Only days earlier, Governor Jim Doyle had signed Assembly Bill 207, a statewide cable franchise bill pushed through by AT&T despite the best efforts of municipalities and public interest advocates to stop it. A saveaccess reader concerned over the lack of any local or regional news coverage sent us the following note with the attached photos:

'There has been another AT&T Cabinet fire, this time in Wisconsin. At 12:30 am 12/25/07 an AT&T Cabinet at 64th Street and North Avenue in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, exploded and caught fire. The burned cabinet was removed between 4 and 5 am and replaced with a new cabinet by 7 am. The techs worked on the new cabinet all day. This cabinet was originally across the street, but was moved next to an office building at the request of neighbors and the city. Luckily the building is all brick and did not burn. Inquires with the city have said that AT&T met with city officials and are bringing in an AT&T official from San Antonio to look into the problem.'"

Costa Mesa officials try to block 'eyesore'

2008-01-14T21:29:00.000-08:00

http://www.ocregister.com/news/boxes-service-officials-1957952-very-naghavi:

"Costa Mesa officials try to block 'eyesore'
AT&T wants to put scores of metal boxes on city streets, raising concerns about aesthetics.

By JEFF OVERLEY
THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

COSTA MESA – Plans to add scores of steel boxes to city streets for Internet access and television service are riling elected officials who are concerned about damage to neighborhood aesthetics.
AT&T, as part of its fiber optic U-Verse service, wants to install 113 metal cabinets on sidewalks throughout town. Twenty-six have already been added, but officials have halted progress on the remaining 87 boxes until a method of improving the boxes' appearance can be devised."

AT&T Confirms Second VRAD Fire

2007-09-20T11:24:00.000-07:00

From: Light Reading

The AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T - message board) investigation into an exploding VRAD cabinet may be over, but (sadly for my editors) the story lives on. (See AT&T: Defect Caused VRAD Explosion.)
The carrier this morning has provided details of a second incident involving Avestor's batteries, the ones that were said to be the cause of an October 2006 broadband equipment cabinet explosion in suburban Houston. (See AT&T Investigates DSLAM Explosion, AT&T Still Digging on DBLAM!, AT&T Eyes Batteries in Explosion Probe, and Exclusive Photos: Fire to the Node.)

The initial VRAD (video-ready access device) explosion occurred in the 8200 block of Clover Gardens Drive. This second incident, a VRAD that caught fire but didn't explode, happened in January 2007 -- "20 miles away" from the first mishap, according to AT&T. Light Reading hasn't been able to determine the exact address. Yet.
"A similar battery produced a small fire in another cabinet, but it was nowhere near the magnitude of the first incident. Both cases were studied in the investigation," writes an AT&T spokesman in an email to Light Reading this morning."

And...

"Given that AT&T has 17,000 Avestor batteries in its network, and this latest admission of a "small fire" involved hazardous materials, some say the investigation, though closed, has suddenly become more alarming. "There's no such thing as a small fire in a residential neighborhood, especially when the fuel is a lithium metal polymer battery," says an industry analyst who asked not to be named. "

AT&T Planting Big, Beige Boxes in My Neighborhood

2007-08-11T10:04:00.000-07:00

http://blogs.pcworld.com/staffblog/archives/005132.html: "AT&T Planting Big, Beige Boxes in My Neighborhood AT&T is laying new fiber optic cable in the nation's upper middle class-to-wealthy neighborhoods in a $4 billion-plus initiative it calls Project Lightspeed. It will use that fiber to deliver real fast Internet as well as its hot new U-verse IPTV service. In order to do that they have to install big cabinets--called fiber optic 'nodes'--to serve up those services. The cabinets are five feet wide, four feet wide and more than two feet deep. They are painted beige. "

Paul Soglin: Waxing America: Mayor Dave Calls AT&T Boxes "Graffiti Magnets"

2007-07-11T17:35:00.000-07:00

Paul Soglin: Waxing America: Mayor Dave Calls AT&T Boxes "Graffiti Magnets": "Mayor Dave Calls AT&T Boxes 'Graffiti Magnets'

Judith Davidoff has the story in today's Capital Times about Madison's unwillingness to allow AT&T free reign to plant its big video boxes all over the public rights-of-way:

More than 300 hulking, refrigerator-size 'graffiti magnets' could soon sprout in Madison yards if state lawmakers pass a controversial cable TV deregulation bill, Mayor Dave Cieslewicz is warning.
'There would be hundreds of these boxes throughout the city,' Cieslewicz said in an interview this week. 'They would be on the street right-of-way and also in people's backyards. They are large -- five feet by four feet -- they make a visual statement and they could be graffiti magnets.'

Under current law, Cieslewicz said the city can prohibit AT&T from installing the boxes without a franchise agreement, such as the one the city has with Charter Cable.

But the city's veto power would be severely curtailed under the deregulation bill that has already passed the state Assembly.

'We wouldn't have much to say about it,' Cieslewicz said. 'AT&T could go in and start installing these things right after the legislation takes effect.'

What's worse, he said, is that the boxes are unnecessary.

'The only reason for them is that AT&T is trying to do this project on the cheap,' he said. 'They want to run fiber to the boxes, but then standard copper (lines) to the home. They need the boxes to transfer data. They could run fiber straight to the home which is what companies on the coasts are doing.'"

U-Verse Made My Yard Ugly! - More cabinet gripes: Ann Arbor, Michigan - dslreports.com News

2007-07-11T17:29:00.000-07:00

U-Verse Made My Yard Ugly! - More cabinet gripes: Ann Arbor, Michigan - dslreports.com News: "
Some neighborhoods continue to complain about the large cabinets AT&T needs to plunk down in order to offer VDSL broadband service and IPTV. The latest lamentations come from Ann Arbor, Michigan:

'[Sarah Lee], who lives on the 600 block of South First Street, tried to have a cooking stove installed in her Old West Side home, but the city Historic District Commission said she couldn't have the vent coming out of the front of her house because it would be visible from the street.

Today, she looks out her big picture window and, through a line of bushes, can see a large AT&T utility cabinet standing more than 5 feet high and 3 feet wide on the strip of land between the sidewalk and the street. 'It's horrible. It's hideous. It's very sad,' Lee said.' "

More Giant Boxes in Brea?

2007-04-24T07:45:00.000-07:00

Article - News - Time Warner vs. AT&T:

"There will need to be about one box – which is about the size of a refrigerator – for every 300 homes. Currently there are about 50 locations targeted for the boxes with more to come.

'They will be placing those in various places throughout the city near existing telephone cabinets,' Matz said. 'Of course we are concerned about making as little impact visually as possible.' "

Wheeling Countryside :: News :: Wheeling halts AT&T's TV boxes

2007-04-23T08:21:00.000-07:00

Wheeling Countryside :: News :: Wheeling halts AT&T's TV boxes: "Wheeling halts AT&T's TV boxes
April 19, 2007

By CASEY MOFFITT Staff Writer

AT&T will not be allowed to install any more utility boxes to provide television service to Wheeling residents until the company and village officials work out an agreement that explains the rights and responsibilities of both sides. "

Lodi residents may lose yard space to AT&T cabinets

2007-04-22T12:38:00.000-07:00

Julie and Sean Whiteley have a nickname for the hulking gray box in the front yard of their Grand Fir Drive home. But it's not an affectionate one.

"We call it 'the refrigerator,' " Julie Whiteley said.

Read all about it here.

Costa Mesa City Council: Big Boxes Need CEQA Review!

2007-04-22T12:36:00.000-07:00

The City of Costa Mesa reviewed a proposal from their staff and legal counsel at their mid-January meeting. The proposed requirements include California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) review, notification to residents within 100 feet, and assurances that the structures will conform to the Americans with Disabilities Act among other things.

For example:

“… Where cabinets are proposed on two-lane residential streets, or on collector streets within residential areas, the maximum cabinet height shall be 48” or less without exception.”

Full text can be found

Aliso Viejo Residents: Huge AT&T Boxes Bad News for Property Values

2007-04-22T12:33:00.000-07:00

Nearly 79% of the residents of Aliso Viejo believe having refrigerator-sized AT&T boxes near their homes or along their sidewalks will have a negative effect on their property values according to a recent survey.

Amazingly, 97% of those surveyed had no idea of AT&T’s plans to put more than 100 clusters of these huge boxes throughout Aliso Viejo and Laguna Niguel.

Mission Viejo to AT&T: "BURY THE BOXES!"

2007-04-22T12:28:00.000-07:00

At the March 19, 2007 meeting of the Mission Viejo City Council, the Council heard a presentation from Jonathan L. Kramer, Esq, a telecommunications consultant, about AT&T's plans to put huge boxes all over Southern California. After hearing from Mr. Kramer and AT&T's representative, the Council voted to amend an ordinance that regulates telecom in the city. Read the minutes of the meeting here.

"By consensus, the City Council directed that any and all equipment boxes installed in Mission
Viejo are placed underground."

Article - News - Time Warner vs. AT&T

2007-04-22T12:11:00.000-07:00

Article - News - Time Warner vs. AT&T: "There will need to be about one box – which is about the size of a refrigerator – for every 300 homes. Currently there are about 50 locations targeted for the boxes with more to come.

'They will be placing those in various places throughout the city near existing telephone cabinets,' Matz said. 'Of course we are concerned about making as little impact visually as possible.' "

AT&T U-verse TV Targets L.A.

2007-04-22T12:08:00.000-07:00

Multichannel News Print Page: "AT&T U-verse TV Targets L.A.
Time Warner Cable Troubled in Los Angeles Market
By Todd Spangler -- Multichannel News, 4/18/2007 3:17:00 PM

AT&T plans to launch television service in the Los Angeles area “in the coming weeks,” hoping to poach customers from the Time Warner Cable system there that has been wrestling with customer-service problems.

The telco declined to provide more details about when and where it will roll out U-verse TV in the L.A. market. Last month, AT&T won a statewide franchise from California to offer video services. Meanwhile, Verizon Communications is marketing FiOS TV in 29 communities in Southern California."

Free Press : Naperville Tries to Box AT&T into a Corner

2007-04-22T12:05:00.000-07:00

Free Press : Naperville Tries to Box AT&T into a Corner: "Naperville Tries to Box AT&T into a Corner
From Daily Herald, March 1, 2007
By Jake Griffin

Taking a cue from Itasca, Naperville leaders are placing giant boxes around the city to show residents what the landscape could look like if the state legislature takes away a municipality’s right to regulate cable franchise agreements.

Telecommunications giant AT&T is pushing for the change and now municipalities are pushing back.

Naperville announced Wednesday it will be distributing large yellow boxes around the city to demonstrate the size of AT&T’s proposed junction boxes for its new video service. Itasca officials did the same a few days ago, only they were pink in color. The boxes are about 5 feet tall and 4 feet wide.

Each box in Naperville is also emblazoned with: “This big ugly box brought to you by AT&T Project Lightspeed in the name of competition.”"

AT&T Investigates Godzilla Box Explosion

2006-11-08T08:25:00.000-08:00

AT&T Investigates DSLAM Explosion: "AT&T Investigates DSLAM Explosion
Light Reading ^ 7-7-06 Phil Harvey

Posted on 11/07/2006 9:04:48 AM PST by Snickering Hound

AT&T says it is still investigating what caused one of its access equipment cabinets to explode and catch fire in a suburban Houston neighborhood nearly two weeks ago.

According to residents in the 8200 block of Clover Gardens Drive, the explosion shook one nearby house, damaged a fence and some siding, and destroyed several thousand dollars worth of telecom gear, including a DSLAM, installed as part of AT&T's Project Lightspeed..."

"...Whatever the cause of the explosion, Harrison recounts that his wife, Mabel, who was home when the DSLAM cabinet was destroyed, said the blast was significant and debris went in at least two different directions. "It went about 50 feet to the other side of the yard and some pieces of the box went down the street," he says. "It shook the house pretty good."

Rocky River wants AT&T Sun News, Cleveland, Ohio

2006-10-27T09:39:00.000-07:00

Rocky River wants AT&T Sun News, Cleveland, Ohio: "Rocky River wants AT&T
to redesign a better fit

By Meredyth McKenzie
Staff Writer

July 13, 2006

ROCKY RIVER — City officials are working with AT&T to change how the Project Lightspeed build-out would take place here, and, if it does not change, they're prepared to ask the utility to come back at a later date when it can be changed.

Officials from both parties met on June 29 to discuss the future of the build-out and related details. There is no construction on the $4.6 million project currently taking place in the city, but several boxes already have popped up, including one on Bonnie Bank Boulevard. Residents from that street and Aberdeen Road oppose the large boxes coming into their neighborhoods.

Once the build-out is complete, there will be 34 boxes on public and private easements and right-of-ways in residential and commercial areas around the city. Mayor Pam Bobst said the city decided to ask AT&T to redesign the build-out to provide a better fit for the residential neighborhoods."

Council exercises limited control on right of way

2006-10-27T09:03:00.000-07:00

The Johnson County Sun: "Councilman Neal Sawyer said if any boxes are damaged, AT&T should be responsible for replacing them and upgrading them to meet the landscaping requirements.

'That's part of the cost of doing business. You went to the state, you didn't come to us, and now we basically have to go by what the state says,' Sawyer said. 'Here's a case where we don't have to be the nice guys. We're supposed to be representing the citizens of Shawnee ... not AT&T. They want to come to this community worse than we want them to come here to provide their services. I don't believe we need to bend over backwards.'

Carroll said the ordinance 'doesn't just apply to AT&T, it applies to all utilities - Kansas City Power and Light, Time Warner, Everest. I'm representing all of us."

What's This "No Godzilla Box" Thing About?

2006-10-25T08:35:00.000-07:00

This is what's at stake. These huge utility companies just drop these enormous boxes in anywhere there want to without regard for the neighborhood or individual home owners. To them, it's just another day at the office making money while our property values suffer and our living environment deteriorates.

It started with just a few necessary boxes like those for traffic signals and electric distribution. Now, with the growth of competition in the telecommunications business for phone, internet, and cable tv, it seems that all these companies need their own Godzilla boxes and they are multiplying like rabbits. In this picture, you can see what has happened to some poor families back yard when AT&T decided they wanted to be in the tv business. Do you think AT&T cared about how ugly this looks or folks that were unlucky enough to have the public right-of-way go through their yard? If you think that's their problem, think again! Every home owner has a public easement and these days most of the easements are in the front yard. Imagine having one of these lovely Godzilla statues in your front yard. It is happening more and more.