The best thing the FCC could do for rural broadband in America would be to make it abundantly clear that they are never spending another dime on subsidizing it. Loan guarantees for anyone who wants to build it, but no more handouts. This would do a lot of things, not all of them good for us but overall I think it would be a huge win for everyone.
WISP’s could invest in serving areas without having to worry about competitors being paid to overbuild us. There are currently areas that are tougher for me to serve that I don’t build to because I know Centurylink is getting subsidies. I’m not investing private, at-risk capital when the government is working against me. The existing LEC’s would either build out - or they wouldn’t. Our entire industry is proof that rural broadband is profitable. Rural broadband is profitable and demand certainly exists. By the time CAF, CAF-II, CAF-II, CAF-II reverse auction, mobility fund, etc. has completed there should be very few areas in the country left that we have not paid to have 10/1 broadband constructed to. Enough already. Mark > On Feb 26, 2017, at 3:17 PM, Ken Hohhof <[email protected]> wrote: > > Well OK, Debbie Downer, you might have a point. > > And probably FCC politics are not so much Republican vs Democrat, but rather > which lobbyists bring the best cupcakes. > https://www.attpublicpolicy.com/fcc/cupcakegate/ > > <> > From: [email protected] > [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Mark Radabaugh > Sent: Sunday, February 26, 2017 1:55 PM > To: Cambium Networks User Group <[email protected]> > Subject: Re: [Cambium-users] Huffington Post Article on Rural Connectivity > > I'm not convinced that we should not be worried about the next 4 years. > Early signs from the chairman are somewhat scary. Gigabit Empowerment, rural > parity with urban consumers, broadband everywhere have all been mentioned. > The recent vote on weighting for CAF-II reverse auction voted to weight > 100Mb/Gigabit far higher than 25/3. Not at all a good sign. > > Our republican chairman is sounding a whole lot like a big spending, big > telco democrat ready to throw money at broadband. > > Mark Radabaugh > Amplex > 22690 Pemberville Rd > Luckey, OH 43447 > 419-261-5996 > > On Feb 26, 2017, at 2:33 PM, Ken Hohhof <[email protected] > <mailto:[email protected]>> wrote: > >> I can see an argument to be made that basic Internet connectivity is >> essentially mandated for some portion of the population by schools, >> government, employers, etc. >> >> I have customers whose kids can’t do their schoolwork without Internet. >> Last week Ameren’s new smartmeters knocked a 900 MHz customer offline and >> her daughter had to do a Skype interview as part of college application, >> ended up burning through their cellular data plan but got it to work. >> Government wants to make it difficult to apply for things like Social >> Security, Medicare, or health insurance by phone or in person, they want you >> to do it online. I think that’s something they should be required to >> review, are they excluding low income people or seniors or people in rural >> areas by mandating interaction via Internet. Same with employers, have you >> tried to find or apply for a job lately without an Internet connection? >> >> Internet is replacing phones as a required method of communication. But >> also let’s be honest, most of these things can be (and are) done on >> smartphones. Although editing a resume or filling out a government form may >> be a lot easier on an actual computer. >> >> The word “broadband” is problematic in this context. Government regulators, >> tech media, telecom companies, etc. want a first-world definition of what >> kind of Internet is a “basic human need”. Flying coach isn’t good enough, >> everyone needs access to first class. Driving a used Toyota may be totally >> adequate to get you to work and the store and take the kids to school, but >> if some people have Teslas and Ferraris, then everyone must have them. >> >> It’s amazing how fast 25M/4M went from an aspirational and futuristic >> definition of “advanced broadband” to the minimum acceptable level, soon to >> be replaced with 100M or gigabit. And yes, 25M is an appropriate definition >> of “broadband” if the objective is to cancel your satellite or cable TV and >> watch HD video on 3-4 screens simultaneously, as well as download 50 GB >> games to your Xbox in minutes not hours or days. But 4M/1M will suffice for >> all those other basic non-entertainment human needs. >> >> The word “broadband” has no real meaning for most people. Maybe we need 2 >> or 3 terms along the lines of what the airline industry has – coach, >> business, first class. Maybe a case can be made that everyone should have >> access to affordable “basic Internet” that would let you do all those work, >> school and government things. The next level up would let you do those plus >> watch a Netflix movie. For even more money, you can watch multiple video >> streams in HD or 4K resolution. But that’s about entertainment, >> convenience, and saving money by cancelling your $150/month satellite or >> cable TV subscription. It’s not about basic human needs. >> >> At some point in the future, there may be a turning point, if they manage to >> make all forms of broadcast TV (OTA, cable, satellite) go away and now >> everything is on-demand and OTT. I don’t mind telling the little old lady >> on Social Security renting a dilapidated house in the country that she >> doesn’t need Netflix, because she can use an OTA antenna, or get the >> cheapest package from DISH or DirecTV. But if all those options go away, as >> the government auctions off all the TV spectrum, and DISH and DirecTV switch >> models to OTT streaming, can you tell retired people on fixed incomes that >> they can’t even watch network TV anymore unless they have “broadband”? But >> that’s a future problem, we’re not there yet. And if the government is >> really intent on making everything IP based, maybe they do need to structure >> the pricing so everyone can still get phone service and watch TV and listen >> to the radio. I worried about that with Wheeler at the head of the FCC. I >> don’t think we have to worry about it for at least 4 years now. >> >> From: [email protected] >> <mailto:[email protected]> >> [mailto:[email protected] >> <mailto:[email protected]>] On Behalf Of Jason McKemie >> Sent: Sunday, February 26, 2017 12:55 PM >> To: Cambium Networks User Group <[email protected] >> <mailto:[email protected]>> >> Subject: Re: [Cambium-users] Huffington Post Article on Rural Connectivity >> >> You can argue a lot for broadband connectivity, but it is absolutely NOT a >> basic human need. >> >> On Friday, February 24, 2017, RickG <[email protected] >> <mailto:[email protected]>> wrote: >>> “It is no exaggeration that broadband connectivity is now a basic human >>> need,” says Atul Bhatnagar, Cambium Networks President and CEO. = code >>> speak for more gov money (aka your tax dollars)... >>> >>> On Fri, Feb 24, 2017 at 11:31 AM, Ray Savich via Cambium-users >>> <[email protected] >>> <javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml','[email protected]');>> wrote: >>>> Cyber Broadcast and Cambium Networks connect a town and bridges the >>>> digital divide. This article is published in the Huffington Post. >>>> http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/how-a-small-town-in-illinois-is-bridging-the-digital_us_58b048f3e4b0658fc20f9416 >>>> >>>> <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/how-a-small-town-in-illinois-is-bridging-the-digital_us_58b048f3e4b0658fc20f9416> >>>> >>>> >>>> _______________________________________________ >>>> Cambium-users mailing list >>>> [email protected] >>>> <javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml','[email protected]');> >>>> http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/cambium-users >>>> <http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/cambium-users> >>> >>> >>> >>> -- >>> -RickG >> _______________________________________________ >> Cambium-users mailing list >> [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> >> http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/cambium-users >> <http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/cambium-users>_______________________________________________ > Cambium-users mailing list > [email protected] > http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/cambium-users
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