Status of Cooperative Work on Joint Use of Poles*

Abstract

Because of the necessity of reaching the same customers, electric supply and telephone lines commonly use the same streets and highways. In urban communities, the joint use of poles for these two services has been very widely adopted and practises for joint use construction have been established from experience gained in past years. In rural communities, joint use is not always practicable or economical. Joint use involves many engineering and economic problems which have received the careful consideration of the Joint General Committee of the National Electric Light Association and Bell Telephone System. This paper describes some of the problems which have been encountered in joint use, and briefly outlines the work which is being conducted by the Joint General Committee in connection therewith. It is concluded that in specific cases proposed for joint use all factors should be studied cooperatively by the companies concerned and that everything practicable should be done to facilitate joint use construction and extend its usefulness.