New Mexico's plan so their rules. ACP was a complete Spectrum fund.
On Tue, Nov 10, 2026 at 10:47 AM Ken Hohhof via AF <[email protected]> wrote: > Who determines if the customer is eligible, you or the government? We > would never have participated in ACP if we had to make that determination. > > > On November 10, 2026 9:20:43 AM CST, Adam Moffett <[email protected]> > wrote: > >> I wonder if lobbyists for cable or LEC providers suggested the phone >> requirement to make life harder on competitors, or if a bureaucrat came up >> with the idea on their own. >> >> >> ------------------------------ >> *From:* AF <[email protected]> on behalf of Ken Hohhof via AF < >> [email protected]> >> *Sent:* Tuesday, November 10, 2026 10:12 AM >> *To:* 'AnimalFarm Microwave Users Group' <[email protected]> >> *Cc:* Ken Hohhof <[email protected]> >> *Subject:* Re: [AFMUG] We may have to sell VOIP... >> >> ETC sounds like the big lift. Have you done business plans for the >> scenario where you participate and where you don’t, and determined that >> participating makes sense? When ACP was a thing, did you participate in >> that? I know we didn’t greatly regret doing so but if they brought it back >> we would have passed. >> >> >> >> Personally I suspect it makes no sense to offer VoIP just for this >> program, unless your business would take a big hit by opting out. If you >> already offer VoIP, or feel it would have benefits (hint: the money is in >> hosted PBX for businesses), then the effort might be worth it. >> >> >> >> Very few people regardless of household income level want landline phone >> any more, they just use a cellphone (and there’s Lifeline). And if someone >> really does want VoIP, apparently your state has never heard of OTT VoIP. >> I have a couple low income (or just thrifty) customers who have Ooma, >> because it’s cheaper than us. I think they have a basic plan that’s $0 >> monthly you just have to buy the phone, the one my customers have I think >> is $9.99/mo. I have another customer who got a cellular based box from >> Consumer Cellular for less than we charge for residential VoIP. If you do >> end up offering VoIP as part of this program, there’s a good chance you >> will get close to zero customers, unless you’re willing to price it so low >> that you will probably lose money unless you find other more profitable >> ways to sell VoIP. >> >> >> >> In addition to ETC, you probably can’t just resell service, I would >> scrutinize the rules. And if you are the provider, you will have costs >> related to things like STIR/SHAKEN that will make it unprofitable at a low >> customer count. There are also various costs like NANPA and TRS, and rules >> like know-your-customer to prevent robocalling. It’s not an insurmountable >> burden, but not something you’d want to take on for a handful of customers. >> >> >> >> *From:* AF <[email protected]> *On Behalf Of *Adam Moffett >> *Sent:* Tuesday, November 10, 2026 8:04 AM >> *To:* AnimalFarm Microwave Users Group <[email protected]> >> *Subject:* Re: [AFMUG] We may have to sell VOIP... >> >> >> >> Do you have to have to sell phone under your own brand? Phone service >> comes with obligations to protect CPNI, to provide E911, to keep call >> history logs, etc. I don't know about NM, but in NY phones also have sales >> tax. None of that comes without labor. If you can just be a retailer you >> could sell the phone, get a one time commission and then the rest of it >> isn't really your problem. >> >> >> >> Could you meet the requirement by retailing a cell phone service? If >> you're doing VoIP you'll have to configure QoS on your whole network, >> especially on wireless, but really the whole network end-to-end has to be >> able to classify, mark, and prioritize the VoIP packets. It's very easy to >> miss one thing and have VoIP glitches. A cell phone service removes the >> technical burden at the very least. >> >> >> >> Is there anything saying you can't use credit checks to disqualify >> customers? Many ACP eligible customers are going to fail a credit check, >> so maybe that's a way to minimize how much of it you have to take on. >> >> >> >> It might be worth a letter to the PRC to say the rule should be amended >> to remove the phone requirement, or to have an exception for providers >> below a certain size threshold. >> >> >> >> You could estimate all of your additional costs and determine that >> subsidizing the ACP customers will add $x/month to everyone else's bill. >> You can even put that on the bill as a "New Mexico PRC regulatory recovery >> fee". Whenever a customer asks about the fee, you can explain exactly what >> it's for and give them a phone number for the PRC, and a link to a comment >> form on the PRC's website. They can express their appreciation for the >> state government helping others or complain about their bill going up. >> Their choice, you're just providing the information. >> >> >> >> Sorry to anyone who thinks I'm being the evil guy offering evil >> suggestions.....people might like the world to be a certain way, but we >> have to live in it the way it is right now, and right now a business has to >> make money or not exist. >> >> >> >> -Adam >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> ------------------------------ >> >> *From:* AF <[email protected]> on behalf of Josh Luthman < >> [email protected]> >> *Sent:* Monday, November 9, 2026 8:11 PM >> *To:* AnimalFarm Microwave Users Group <[email protected]> >> *Subject:* Re: [AFMUG] We may have to sell VOIP... >> >> >> >> Call up an attorney and get your ETC like...last year... >> >> >> >> On Mon, Nov 9, 2026 at 12:38 PM Cameron Crum <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> Danial White at Atheral https://atheral.com/ >> >> >> >> >> >> On Mon, Nov 9, 2026 at 11:27 AM Sam Lambie <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> We are in NM and the state is about to roll out an ACP like benefit to >> low income households. Unlike ACP where as long as the provider was selling >> internet the federal government paid the benefits to an ISP, whereas the >> state of NM is mandating that in order to provide these LITAP benefits, the >> provider needs to sell telephone services as well as register with the NM >> PRC as an ETC. Totally archaic ruling in our opinion and shuts out a lot of >> small ISP's in NM to be able to pass these benefits to our customers. >> >> Nonetheless, in order to play the game, I am researching who sells VOIP >> that we can resell etc? >> >> Any suggestions would be greatly welcome. >> >> -- >> >> -- >> *Sam Lambie* >> Taosnet Wireless Tech. >> 575-758-7598 <(575)%20758-7598> Office >> www.Taosnet.com <http://www.newmex.com> >> >> -- >> AF mailing list >> [email protected] >> http://af.afmug.com/mailman/listinfo/af_af.afmug.com >> >> -- >> AF mailing list >> [email protected] >> http://af.afmug.com/mailman/listinfo/af_af.afmug.com >> >> -- > AF mailing list > [email protected] > http://af.afmug.com/mailman/listinfo/af_af.afmug.com >
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