Eigenvector wrote:
I can leave it in its current position, bonded to the pipes, as the
pipes are bonded to the panel ground, this would make the phone
ground the shortest it can be - otherwise I'd have to route the
phone ground wire to the other side of my house.

Connection from phone, through wires, through pipes, etc is grossly
more than 10 feet. It is make worse by pipe joints, wire junctions
etc. It does not meet 1990 NEC earthing requirements. I suspect your
connection to earth is well over 50 feet AND does not make that
earthing connection directly. It would be a prescription for
electronics damage.

There are a number of ways to fix this. But you may regard them as
too much work. The amount of work not justified by the risk. This for
the benefit of others who are at more risk to damage.

For example that phone line could be rerouted to enter at adjacent to
AC electric. Or wire is routed inside building well separated from any
other wire or pipe to first connect to a protector at earth electrode -
and only then distributing phone service to the house. Another
suggestion from a utility is demonstrated by bad, ugly, and good
figures in:
http://www.cinergy.com/surge/ttip08.htm

There is no way around a short ground connection (lower impedance)
and a common earthing electrode if electronics protection is desired.