Protection from lightning of France Telecom centres: from kilo-amperes to kilo-francs

This article tackles the problem of lightning protection applied at France Telecom on both economic and organizational levels. Technical principles, validated during Saint Privas d´Allier experimentation, and treated in several articles, is briefly recalled. However, from data available on the elderly running stations, the earnings linked to the bonding network and its associated devices are carefully assessed. Another subject-as far as organization is concerned-is difficulties implied by such an important cultural change as passing from the “star earthing method” to the “mesh bonding network”, both within France Telecom and towards its relations with its suppliers or customers