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ECHELON system are facilities that tap directly into
land-based telecommunications systems, completing a near total coverage of
the world's communications.

The microwave networks are made up of chains of microwave towers relaying
messages from hilltop to hilltop (always within line of sight) across the
countryside. These networks shunt large quantities of communications across
a country. Intercepting them gives access to international underseas
communications (once they surface) and to international communication trunk
lines across continents.

They are also an obvious target for large-scale interception of domestic
communications. Of course, when the microwave route is across one of the
UKUSA countries' territory it is much easier to arrange interception.


P41
The ECHELON system has created an awesome spying capacity for the United
States, allowing it to monitor continuously most of the world's communications.

It is an important component of its power and influence in the post-Cold War
world order, and advances in computer processing technology c