II. Why Care? (By Ed Hare, ARRL Laboratory Manager)

The busy utility executive has to juggle a lot of tasks everyday. Radio/television interference is probably not very high on his or her priority list. This article may help change that. In many cases, a bit of work up front can save a lot of work later. Ensuring that his or her company has a workable program to address its responsibilities with regard to interference, in the long run, will be the most cost-effective solution. Fixing the problem is actually in the utility's best interest. Let's take a look at a few of the specifics as to why:

1. It's a matter of customer service. Interference can severely impact a person's quality of life, and that person is almost always a utility customer. Most utilities take great pride in their customer-service programs.

2. Radio noise is actually caused by some sort of equipment defect. In some cases, the noise is the most obvious evidence of the problem. While it doesn't happen often, such a defect can fail altogether and drop a live line on the ground. If a good interference resolution policy prevents even one such serious incident, the utility's expenditure will have been justified in spades. Remember, every downed power-line is preceded by an arc. That arc could be the source of your interference problem.

3. Prevention is cheaper than a cure. The most cost-effective time to fix most problems is when they occur. Routinely identifying and fixing noise complaints, in the long run, is almost always less expensive than the alternative. Arguing with customers can be time consuming and may even involve company lawyers in some very expensive conversations. In some cases, utility managers have spent considerably more money to not fix a noise problem than they would have to simply fix it correctly in the first place.

4. It's the law! FCC regulations prohibit operators of any device generating radio noise from causing harmful interference. It's always better to correct problems as they occur rather than wait for a formal complaint through the FCC. (A number of electric-utility CEOs have been surprised to receive a letter from the FCC Enforcement Bureau.) By ensuring utility staff routinely correct these problems, a utility manager can avoid literally making a federal case out of what should be a local problem.