An
Open Letter to WISPA, the Board of Directors and all WISPA
members.
Our
industry and indeed WISPA itself if founded on the bedrock of
helping one another to further our industry and our
businesses. This group is a dedicated, committed group of IT
cowboys that try their hardest to get things done and move
forward. When one of our members suffers or has difficulty,
we are all there to stand with them and provide whatever help
necessary. When disaster strikes we jump in and help as in
the case of several hurricanes and bad storms over the years.
We also actively strive to help each other solve difficult
problems whether it be configuring a server, securing
financing, finding the best hardware solution to solve a
problem or any other myriad of issues our businesses face the
members of WISPA are there to help! I joined WISPA because I
felt it was a great thing for me and my business and I want to
support WISPA anyway I can, however our membership is being
attacked from within and I call on the board to take
corrective action immediately and forcefully!
Ubiquiti
Networks has recently sued Cambium as well as Blip Networks (a
fellow WISP), Winncom Technologies (a WISPA vendor), Sakid
Ahmed (Cambium VP of engineering) and Dmitry Moiseev (project
engineer at Cambium) over Cambiums “Elevate technology”. I’ve
attached the legal complaint so you can read all the details
yourself. Basically the group is accused of “hacking”
ubiquiti equipment by loading a different operating system and
user interface on Ubiquiti subscriber radios so that they
interoperate with Cambium ePMP access points. This is no
different than someone loading windows on a Mac, or vise versa
someone building a Hackintosh out of PC parts and loading
MacOS on it. Or more to the point someone loading DD-WART on
a linksys WiFi router. However, regardless of the merits of
the complaint, what Ubiquiti is doing is a clear violation of
everything that WISPA stands for!
I’ve
also attached the WISPA mission statement, Goals, Code of
ethics, and Article 8 of the By Laws. Ubiquiti is in clear
violation of all these sections and I hear by call on the
board to terminate Ubiquiti’s membership in WISPA. A HOUSE
DIVIDED CANNOT STAND! We must get rid of any bad actors
amongst us so that we can continue to accomplish everything
WISPA stands for.
IT
IS EXTREMELY UNNERVING TO SEE UBIQUITI SUE ONE OF OUR FELLOW
WISPS. What kind of business actively sues it's own
customers? Who will be next? Our businesses are too small to
be forced to defend ourselves from this bad actor in our
organization. I fear that any one of us could be next on the
chopping block and i’ve invested way too much time, energy,
sweat blood and tears to see my business or a fellow WISP
attached by a wall street company with deep pockets that can
sue us out of existence.
I
hope the rest of the membership will join in signing this
letter and that the board will remove Ubiquiti from our
organization and send a message that we will not put up with
this kind of business ethics. If the board is unwilling to
remove Ubiquiti then I will be forced to remove myself and my
company from WISPA because this is not what we stand for.
VERY
DISGUSTED,
Sean
Heskett
ZIRKEL Wireless
High-Speed Internet for NW Colorado
970-871-8500 x100 - Office
970-846-8065 - mobile
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MISSION AND GOALS
http://www.wispa.org/About-Us/Mission-and-Goals
MISSION STATEMENT:
WISPA works to promote the development, advancement and
unification of the wireless Internet service
provider industry.
WISPA GOALS:
• Encourage
Congress and the FCC to write laws that support the survival
and success of community-based wireless Internet service
providers (WISPs).
• Provide
online technical forums that enable and encourage the
sharing and exchange of information between all the members
of the WISP community.
• Demystify
government rules and regulations.
• Publicize,
promote, demonstrate and maintain a Code of Ethical Business
Practices.
• Promote
and support industry-wide communication, coordination and
cooperation between local WISP organizations, national WISP
organizations, community wireless organizations and wireless
industry vendors.
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CODE
OF ETHICS
https://www.wispa.org/About-Us/Policies/Code-of-Ethics
ARTICLE III
We will publicize our services in a professional manner
upholding the dignity of our profession. We will avoid all
conduct, practices and promotion likely to discredit or do
injury to our field of endeavor.
ARTICLE V
In keeping with this dedication to principle, the members of
the Association have further pledged to:
• Follow
through and complete any agreement made verbally or
otherwise to either another member of the Association or to
any client or prospective client.
• Deal
fairly with the public and with fellow professionals, giving
due respect to the rights and legitimate interests
of others.
• Respect
the rights of the owners of intellectual properties.
• Not
knowingly disseminate false or misleading information and
shall act promptly to correct erroneous communications for
which they are responsible.
• Use
proper diligence to ensure that all materials on their
networks are restricted in accordance with applicable laws,
regulations and the tenets of reasonable precaution.
• Not
disparage other members by statement or innuendo to clients
or prospective clients.
• Respond
to any complaint or violations filed with the Association
and participate in all processes and procedures of the
Association with respect to that complaint.
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By Laws
By Laws Article 8
8.6. Termination of Membership. A Member’s Membership
will terminate upon the occurrence of any of the following
events:
8.6.1. The Member provides written notice to the Board
that the Member is resigning from WISPA;
8.6.2. The Member dissolves or ceases to transact the
business that qualified the Member for WISPA Membership;
8.6.3. The Member’s Membership expires, unless the
Membership is renewed on terms fixed by the Board;
8.6.4. The Member fails to pay dues, fees or
assessments within ten (10) days after they become due and
payable pursuant to the decision of the Board; or
8.6.5. The Board terminates the Member’s Membership.
8.7. The Board may terminate the Member’s Membership if
the Board finds that a Member has materially breached these
Amended Bylaws or any rule of conduct applicable to WISPA
Membership or has otherwise engaged in conduct materially
prejudicial to the purposes and interests of WISPA. The Board
will abide by the following procedures to terminate a Member:
8.7.1. The Secretary will give the Member a notice
specifying the Board’s intent to terminate the Member’s
Membership fifteen (15) days prior to the proposed date of
termination. The notice will explain the reasons for the
proposed termination.
8.7.2. The Member may respond to the notice within ten
(10) days after the notice is sent. The Member’s response will
be in writing or at a meeting of the Board, as the Board may
determine.
8.7.3. No less than fifteen (15) days after the
Secretary sends the notice, the Board, or a committee of the
Board, will decide whether to terminate the Member’s
Membership.
