Abstract: A fault is located along a telecommunications line between the network terminating equipment and the local exchange by measuring a change in the capacitance of the line when compared with the capacitance under normal operating conditions. A geographical information system is used to plot all possible routes for the line between the terminating equipment and the exchange, and the most probable route is selected based on the known positions of nodes along the line, such as pole mounted distribution points and streetside cabinets. The distance of the fault along the line is then plotted along the most probable route to determine an accurate fault location, which is given to a field technician as the location of the nearest premises or a grid reference.

Abstract: A message distribution system for distributing a message via a telecommunications network to a plurality of communications terminals comprises: a message unit for contacting each of the terminals and sending the message, memory for storing, for a plurality of said terminals, corresponding terminal address data, and storing also a plurality of geographical element data linking geographical features of a portion of the Earth with location data; input for accepting an input control signal to initiate message distribution; area designation unit to designate a geographical area within the portion of the Earth; terminal derivation unit for outputting the terminal address data of terminals for outputting the terminal address data of terminals recorded as being geographically within the area and supplying the addresses for use by the message unit.

Abstract: A fault is located along a telecommunications line between the network terminating equipment and the local exchange by measuring a change in the capacitance of the line when compared with the capacitance under normal operating conditions. A geographical information system is used to plot all possible routes for the line between the terminating equipment and the exchange, and the most probable route is selected based on the known positions of nodes along the line, such as pole mounted distribution points and streetside cabinets. The distance of the fault along the line is then plotted along the most probable route to determine an accurate fault location, which is given to a field technician as the location of the nearest premises or a grid reference.