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Ask Slashdot: Resources For Identifying Telecom Right-of-Way Locations?

Posted by samzenpus on from the coming-through dept.

An anonymous reader writes "With threats to network neutrality, such as Verizon's recent lawsuit, I've been thinking of creating a map plotting all the locations where telecommunications companies currently use public lands via right-of-way laws. It seems that this would convey just how much telecommunications depends on public infrastructure. However, it's been difficult identifying where these locations are. Short of crowdsourcing, does anyone know of resources that could be used to create such a map?"

2 of 107 comments (clear)

  1. Do it and it will be classified by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    A while back, a PhD candidate at George Mason University collected a lot of this information from public records. He create a large database/map of all the utility routes in the US. His thesis was classified:
    http://www.portlandphoenix.com/features/technophilia/documents/03028866.asp

  2. Re:most of telecom RoWs in USA are not public land by optikos · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Indeed, one major telecom company is named for its railroad easements: SPRINT, the Southern Pacific Railroad Intercontinental Network of Telecommunications, although the latter 3 letters are likely :-) a backronym after Southern Pacific Communications Corporation (SPCC) changed its name to SPRINT.