I know this is something just for Techs, but can someone explain this? I'm curious.
Essentially, whenever a new directv box is installed, directv sends a signal to the receiver telling it to phone home. If the receiver does not do this, then they charge the installer back $5 per receiver that fails to call in. They do this to ensure that the phone lines are connected just in case the customer wants to order ppv.
It is a big pain in the butt for most installers, as it is rare for there to be a preexisting phone line accessible, and running phone lines in a house that has usable cable already installed is time consuming and cost prohibitive. Many installers just end up eating the $5 and saying oh well, but I'm sure you can see that it would add up over time to a lot of lost money for the installer.
Now it says that phone lines should be run as part of a standard installation, but as far as I'm aware D* didn't increase installer pay when they decided they should do considerably more work.