Re: [WISPA] USF Reform Bill Introduced - The most compellingreason to document and map your network coverage ever
Is cable not considered a wireline service? Regards, Jeff Jeff Broadwick ImageStream 800-813-5123 x106 (US/Can) +1 574-935-8484 x106 (Int'l) -Original Message- From: wireless-boun...@wispa.org [mailto:wireless-boun...@wispa.org] On Behalf Of Brian Webster Sent: Thursday, July 29, 2010 10:02 AM To: 'Fred Goldstein'; 'WISPA General List' Subject: Re: [WISPA] USF Reform Bill Introduced - The most compellingreason to document and map your network coverage ever Fred, That is understood, however I think that WISPA may try to lobby to have the term wireline removed such that any technology that delivers the defined broadband and voice services should be qualified to meet the 75% requirement. This is still a bill and not a law so there are opportunities to change this although I don't expect that one to go through without a fight. In this case we might be able to ally ourselves with the cable industry. I am sure they would love to see Telco's lose their USF subsidies in markets that are served by cable. Brian -Original Message- From: Fred Goldstein [mailto:fgoldst...@ionary.com] Sent: Thursday, July 29, 2010 9:42 AM To: bwebs...@wirelessmapping.com; WISPA General List Subject: Re: [WISPA] USF Reform Bill Introduced - The most compelling reason to document and map your network coverage ever At 7/29/2010 08:01 AM, Brian wrote: Hit me off list and I can offer some suggestions. As I mentioned, the 75% rule only applies to wireline providers (i.e., cable), so mapping WISP coverage buys nothing. The Boucher-Terry bill has nothing in it to help WISPs and plenty to hurt them, including a rather high tax to support your competitors. Brian -Original Message- From: wireless-boun...@wispa.org [mailto:wireless-boun...@wispa.org] On Behalf Of RickG Sent: Wednesday, July 28, 2010 11:24 PM To: WISPA General List Subject: Re: [WISPA] USF Reform Bill Introduced - The most compelling reason to document and map your network coverage ever I'd like to but I dont know where to begin and with my limited time I cant even try to figure it out. On Wed, Jul 28, 2010 at 12:37 PM, Brian Webster bwebs...@wirelessmapping.com wrote: Steve Coran just posted the message below to the WISPA FCC committee list. I took particular note to the following statement: - would reduce or deny support to wireline incumbents in areas where at least 75% of households can receive voice and broadband from a competitive provider that does not receive support Now the way I read the above statement is that if a WISP covers 75% of a current USF recipients service area, there will no longer be eligibility to receive USF funds. Remember if they have broadband they also have access to many VOIP providers even if you do not provide VOIP services. Vonage and Skype come to mind, not to mention cellular coverage. This would be a huge factor in leveling the playing field for WISP's in rural markets! I cannot see a more compelling reason to document and map your networks than this. Not only will it prevent yet another subsidized competitor from coming in to your service area, but it will also erode funding for any Telco who currently receives USF in your markets. This would bring wireless as a delivery method to the forefront because there are then no artificial revenue streams subsidizing the cost to deliver last mile service. We all know that wireless has the least cost per household passed in low density markets. There are many ways to document and map your coverage areas. First and foremost though is that you should file the Form 477 as required. Next one should map their network with an accurate service area where you would confidently offer service. This can be done many ways (including paying me to do it). This also shows a very important reason to be participating in your state broadband mapping efforts. I would expect that those state maps will become one of the major verification sources to establish the 75% coverage. The FCC 477 database will probably become another verification source. If you are listed in both of them it would be very hard for someone to say you don't exist and don't offer coverage in their areas. One of the downsides to this bill is that all broadband providers will be required to contribute to the fund. My gut feeling though is that if WISP's were accurately mapped and documented it would show so much less of the US is unserved by broadband and thus the required funding through USF to get it there will be much less. Brian -- Last week, Reps. Boucher (D-VA) and Terry (R-NE) introduced legislation that would reform the Universal Service Fund. The Press Release, Overview, Section by Section summary and text of the bill are available at this link: http://www.boucher.house.gov/index.php?option=com_contenttask=viewid=1579 Itemid=122 I
Re: [WISPA] USF Reform Bill Introduced - The most compellingreason to document and map your network coverage ever
You'd think there would be an excellent legal argument to fight that. Seems it'd be difficult to enact a law that in effect discriminates against certain classes of providers, especially since WISPs are the only pure play broadband providers out there. Theorectically the re-configured USF is meant to propel broadband...so how could the feds exclude the only entity that provides broadband first, other services second. All other providers have broadband as a secondary play. Patrick Leary Aperto Networks 813.426.4230 mobile -Original Message- From: wireless-boun...@wispa.org [mailto:wireless-boun...@wispa.org] On Behalf Of Brian Webster Sent: Thursday, July 29, 2010 7:02 AM To: 'Fred Goldstein'; 'WISPA General List' Subject: Re: [WISPA] USF Reform Bill Introduced - The most compellingreason to document and map your network coverage ever Fred, That is understood, however I think that WISPA may try to lobby to have the term wireline removed such that any technology that delivers the defined broadband and voice services should be qualified to meet the 75% requirement. This is still a bill and not a law so there are opportunities to change this although I don't expect that one to go through without a fight. In this case we might be able to ally ourselves with the cable industry. I am sure they would love to see Telco's lose their USF subsidies in markets that are served by cable. Brian -Original Message- From: Fred Goldstein [mailto:fgoldst...@ionary.com] Sent: Thursday, July 29, 2010 9:42 AM To: bwebs...@wirelessmapping.com; WISPA General List Subject: Re: [WISPA] USF Reform Bill Introduced - The most compelling reason to document and map your network coverage ever At 7/29/2010 08:01 AM, Brian wrote: Hit me off list and I can offer some suggestions. As I mentioned, the 75% rule only applies to wireline providers (i.e., cable), so mapping WISP coverage buys nothing. The Boucher-Terry bill has nothing in it to help WISPs and plenty to hurt them, including a rather high tax to support your competitors. Brian -Original Message- From: wireless-boun...@wispa.org [mailto:wireless-boun...@wispa.org] On Behalf Of RickG Sent: Wednesday, July 28, 2010 11:24 PM To: WISPA General List Subject: Re: [WISPA] USF Reform Bill Introduced - The most compelling reason to document and map your network coverage ever I'd like to but I dont know where to begin and with my limited time I cant even try to figure it out. On Wed, Jul 28, 2010 at 12:37 PM, Brian Webster bwebs...@wirelessmapping.com wrote: Steve Coran just posted the message below to the WISPA FCC committee list. I took particular note to the following statement: - would reduce or deny support to wireline incumbents in areas where at least 75% of households can receive voice and broadband from a competitive provider that does not receive support Now the way I read the above statement is that if a WISP covers 75% of a current USF recipients service area, there will no longer be eligibility to receive USF funds. Remember if they have broadband they also have access to many VOIP providers even if you do not provide VOIP services. Vonage and Skype come to mind, not to mention cellular coverage. This would be a huge factor in leveling the playing field for WISP's in rural markets! I cannot see a more compelling reason to document and map your networks than this. Not only will it prevent yet another subsidized competitor from coming in to your service area, but it will also erode funding for any Telco who currently receives USF in your markets. This would bring wireless as a delivery method to the forefront because there are then no artificial revenue streams subsidizing the cost to deliver last mile service. We all know that wireless has the least cost per household passed in low density markets. There are many ways to document and map your coverage areas. First and foremost though is that you should file the Form 477 as required. Next one should map their network with an accurate service area where you would confidently offer service. This can be done many ways (including paying me to do it). This also shows a very important reason to be participating in your state broadband mapping efforts. I would expect that those state maps will become one of the major verification sources to establish the 75% coverage. The FCC 477 database will probably become another verification source. If you are listed in both of them it would be very hard for someone to say you don't exist and don't offer coverage in their areas. One of the downsides to this bill is that all broadband providers will be required to contribute to the fund. My gut feeling though is that if WISP's were accurately mapped and documented it would show so much less of the US is unserved by broadband and thus the required funding through USF to get it there will be much less. Brian
Re: [WISPA] USF Reform Bill Introduced - The most compellingreason to document and map your network coverage ever
Exactly Patrick. The rural telco's in my coverage area are getting those per telephone served. They are not going to give it up without a fight. The only recourse would be to distribute USF funds across the providers providing Internet access and Land line access. That will not happen. Scottie You'd think there would be an excellent legal argument to fight that. Seems it'd be difficult to enact a law that in effect discriminates against certain classes of providers, especially since WISPs are the only pure play broadband providers out there. Theorectically the re-configured USF is meant to propel broadband...so how could the feds exclude the only entity that provides broadband first, other services second. All other providers have broadband as a secondary play. Patrick Leary Aperto Networks 813.426.4230 mobile -Original Message- From: wireless-boun...@wispa.org [mailto:wireless-boun...@wispa.org] On Behalf Of Brian Webster Sent: Thursday, July 29, 2010 7:02 AM To: 'Fred Goldstein'; 'WISPA General List' Subject: Re: [WISPA] USF Reform Bill Introduced - The most compellingreason to document and map your network coverage ever Fred, That is understood, however I think that WISPA may try to lobby to have the term wireline removed such that any technology that delivers the defined broadband and voice services should be qualified to meet the 75% requirement. This is still a bill and not a law so there are opportunities to change this although I don't expect that one to go through without a fight. In this case we might be able to ally ourselves with the cable industry. I am sure they would love to see Telco's lose their USF subsidies in markets that are served by cable. Brian -Original Message- From: Fred Goldstein [mailto:fgoldst...@ionary.com] Sent: Thursday, July 29, 2010 9:42 AM To: bwebs...@wirelessmapping.com; WISPA General List Subject: Re: [WISPA] USF Reform Bill Introduced - The most compelling reason to document and map your network coverage ever At 7/29/2010 08:01 AM, Brian wrote: Hit me off list and I can offer some suggestions. As I mentioned, the 75% rule only applies to wireline providers (i.e., cable), so mapping WISP coverage buys nothing. The Boucher-Terry bill has nothing in it to help WISPs and plenty to hurt them, including a rather high tax to support your competitors. Brian -Original Message- From: wireless-boun...@wispa.org [mailto:wireless-boun...@wispa.org] On Behalf Of RickG Sent: Wednesday, July 28, 2010 11:24 PM To: WISPA General List Subject: Re: [WISPA] USF Reform Bill Introduced - The most compelling reason to document and map your network coverage ever I'd like to but I dont know where to begin and with my limited time I cant even try to figure it out. On Wed, Jul 28, 2010 at 12:37 PM, Brian Webster bwebs...@wirelessmapping.com wrote: Steve Coran just posted the message below to the WISPA FCC committee list. I took particular note to the following statement: - would reduce or deny support to wireline incumbents in areas where at least 75% of households can receive voice and broadband from a competitive provider that does not receive support Now the way I read the above statement is that if a WISP covers 75% of a current USF recipients service area, there will no longer be eligibility to receive USF funds. Remember if they have broadband they also have access to many VOIP providers even if you do not provide VOIP services. Vonage and Skype come to mind, not to mention cellular coverage. This would be a huge factor in leveling the playing field for WISP's in rural markets! I cannot see a more compelling reason to document and map your networks than this. Not only will it prevent yet another subsidized competitor from coming in to your service area, but it will also erode funding for any Telco who currently receives USF in your markets. This would bring wireless as a delivery method to the forefront because there are then no artificial revenue streams subsidizing the cost to deliver last mile service. We all know that wireless has the least cost per household passed in low density markets. There are many ways to document and map your coverage areas. First and foremost though is that you should file the Form 477 as required. Next one should map their network with an accurate service area where you would confidently offer service. This can be done many ways (including paying me to do it). This also shows a very important reason to be participating in your state broadband mapping efforts. I would expect that those state maps will become one of the major verification sources to establish the 75% coverage. The FCC 477 database will probably become another verification source. If you are listed in both of them it would be very hard for someone to say you don't exist and don't offer coverage
