Re: [WISPA] Lack of Competition
I can only imagine. +++ neofast.net - fast internet for North East Oregon and South East Washington email me at mark at neofast dot net 541-969-8200 Direct commercial inquiries to purchasing at neofast dot net - Original Message - From: John Scrivner [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: WISPA General List wireless@wispa.org Sent: Wednesday, September 20, 2006 4:39 PM Subject: Re: [WISPA] Lack of Competition Here is an idea for a federal policy plan to end the broadband access problems. How about Base Station Licenses instead of 10,000 square mile licenses like we do now. Anyone could buy a Base Station License. Heaven forbid a regular person should be allowed to compete with a Megasuck.net RBOC! Someday I will share with all of you what it is like to be part of the license auction system as I just went through in the AWS auction. Root canals are more fun. Scriv Mark Koskenmaki wrote: - Original Message - From: Peter R. [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: WISPA General List wireless@wispa.org Sent: Wednesday, September 20, 2006 11:19 AM Subject: Re: [WISPA] Lack of Competition It is a lack of federal policy. Every nation that has a federal policy on teelcom/BB/internet has strong penetration and competition - and cheaper rates. Granted there are lots of debates about why some countries are cheaper, and have more users, but the fact remains that the FCC has failed - FAILED - in its charge of ensuring competition and upholding the Telecom Act of 1996. Heck, they don't even enforce merger requirements nor spectrum purchase requirements. Without a clear plan, laser focus, and habitual execution, you usually have failure. The notion that the federal government can actually create a policy or program to provide something that is better than free enterprise is absurd on it's face, and evidence suggests that is the worst possible means of attempting to do anything. I will agree that there have been a lot of federal failures, but they relate to over-regulation, the creation of monopolies, and a failure at being good stewards of the public trust. Add this all up, and you have to wonder why on earth people think the federal government should EVER be considered as being responsible for much of anything in our daily lives. - Peter Mark Koskenmaki wrote: I can't believe that someone would be dumb enough to write this... The biggest problem is a lack of FEDERAL POLICY Oh, please. Spare us the insane idiocy... -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/
Re: [WISPA] Lack of Competition
Mark, As quoted; Income is, of course, a factor in broadband adoption. As the table on page three shows, 15% of those who live in households with income under $30,000 annually have broadband compared with 57% of those in households whose incomes exceed $75,000 annually. But the data do show that broadband is no longer just the province of upper- income Americans. www.pewinternet.org/pdfs/PIP_Broadband_trends2006.pdf Those dreaded facts! ;-) Regards, Dawn DiPietro Mark Koskenmaki wrote: My experience has been that income has almost no relationship to whether or not someone wants and gets high-speed internet. I know people who drive new trucks and bmw's and won't spring for high speed internet. And others who have to scrape it together nickel by nickel who do. And, in my area, at least, there's well past 25% who simply don't have a computer, much less want internet. +++ neofast.net - fast internet for North East Oregon and South East Washington email me at mark at neofast dot net 541-969-8200 Direct commercial inquiries to purchasing at neofast dot net --- --- -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/
Re: [WISPA] Lack of Competition
I don't disagree that many people choose Dial UP by Choice. I'm just saying that 30% of America does not. I don't have data on this, but neither does any one else, so of course it is speculation. I also think its a sales problem. Better sales and marketing targeted to the Dial Up user would also contribute to changing this. For example, how many parents knowthere are parental control home routers that can restrict usage by time of day? For example, I revently converted some DialUP users to Wireless, and had been marketing DSL Wireless to them for years, unsuccessfully. They replied, I got the flyers regularly but never called, because I knew DSL didn't exist in my area, from past experience, and thought it was just unqualified marketing. I didn't realize Wireless was a different technology to get signal to the home, and thought it was referring to Indoor wireless router. My point is that statistical data is flawed for those type of reasons. The big kicker is that many keep Dial Up for mobility. As WIFI and FREE broadband in Hotels and such, and broadband in every home gets closer to be met, and Email by Cell Phone, the need for Mobile Dial Up starts to diminish. Tom DeReggi RapidDSL Wireless, Inc IntAirNet- Fixed Wireless Broadband - Original Message - From: Peter R. [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: WISPA General List wireless@wispa.org Sent: Thursday, September 21, 2006 12:27 AM Subject: Re: [WISPA] Lack of Competition Tom DeReggi wrote: Peter, Other figures from research firms like Forrester show that only about 40% of Americans have high-speed connections at home, 30% rely on dial-up and 25% don’t have any Internet connections at all! I do not disagree with those statistics. I disagree with your statement that most DialUp users are DialUp users by choice, and that most people that don't have Internet are doing so by choice. I think you are inferring there, but I know several people who keep dial-up (mostly with AOL) because of the pain of change, including my sister, who could get SBC DSL by Yahoo for less than her AOL account. So yeah many are on it on purpose. A buddy keeps dial-up at home so his kids will not get addicted and be on MySpace all night. Again on purpose he has dial-up. The facts are, 60% of America is under served, which is both embaressing for the US, and a call for opportunity. In todays world, there is justification for every home in America to have broadband and to have a computer. Not having a computer, is no longer a valid arguement. Even the most impoverished homes, can manage to budget to buy a $300 computer from BestBuy, that includes monitor and printer. Yeah. People on welfare buy PC's. They buy Xbox. It's a status and social thing. But I won't write a thesis on it. Again this is from personal experience. Or for that matter to get a FREE used donated computer. A pentium pc, does Broadband fine (although slow and problematic). The reason people do not buy broadband, is NOT price. It doesn't need to be cheaper. There is already cost justification, the end user just doesn't always realize it at first. Understanding that the Average DialUp user is paying $35 a month already (line and service). The problem is that broadband is to cheap. So large players can't justify expansion into lower profit centers, by subsidees of higher paying subs. The problem is that users DO NOT HAVE OPTIONS. USERS HAVE NOT BEEN SOLICITED WITH PROPER SALES AND MARKETING TO CONVINCE THEM THEY NEED IT, BECAUE IT IS POINTLESS WHEN IT IS NOT AVAILABLE. I think the duopoly is doing a great job of marketing and lowering the ARPU to get everyone on the internet. But I am still amazed when I ask people for an email - and they don't have one! - Peter -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ -- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.1.405 / Virus Database: 268.12.5/451 - Release Date: 9/19/2006 -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/
Re: [WISPA] Lack of Competition
The only thing that I forgot about is Broadband may actually increase the sales of DialUP. So a higher market share of BRoadband does not mean a lower market share of DialUP. Everyone needs a Dial UP for redundancy, when their main broadband goes down, which it eventually will, since its a commodity low cost service now. As people have Broadband, the more they train themselves to rely on it, and the bigger the need they have a backup. So any statistic that does not ask, How Many broadband connection types do you have in your home, is flawed. Just like people having more than one TV in the home, they have more than one communication device in their home. We have 4 cell phones in our house, (Mine, Wifes, AuPairs, Spare). Two phone services (Verizon Analog, and VOIP). The same will likely happen with Broadband. More and More businesses will have more than one broadband connection. The cheaper it gets the more likely two connections will be had. A reason that proves cost is not what is preventing broadband, they end up spending the same amount and getting two for the old price of one. Tom DeReggi RapidDSL Wireless, Inc IntAirNet- Fixed Wireless Broadband - Original Message - From: Peter R. [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: WISPA General List wireless@wispa.org Sent: Thursday, September 21, 2006 12:27 AM Subject: Re: [WISPA] Lack of Competition Tom DeReggi wrote: Peter, Other figures from research firms like Forrester show that only about 40% of Americans have high-speed connections at home, 30% rely on dial-up and 25% don’t have any Internet connections at all! I do not disagree with those statistics. I disagree with your statement that most DialUp users are DialUp users by choice, and that most people that don't have Internet are doing so by choice. I think you are inferring there, but I know several people who keep dial-up (mostly with AOL) because of the pain of change, including my sister, who could get SBC DSL by Yahoo for less than her AOL account. So yeah many are on it on purpose. A buddy keeps dial-up at home so his kids will not get addicted and be on MySpace all night. Again on purpose he has dial-up. The facts are, 60% of America is under served, which is both embaressing for the US, and a call for opportunity. In todays world, there is justification for every home in America to have broadband and to have a computer. Not having a computer, is no longer a valid arguement. Even the most impoverished homes, can manage to budget to buy a $300 computer from BestBuy, that includes monitor and printer. Yeah. People on welfare buy PC's. They buy Xbox. It's a status and social thing. But I won't write a thesis on it. Again this is from personal experience. Or for that matter to get a FREE used donated computer. A pentium pc, does Broadband fine (although slow and problematic). The reason people do not buy broadband, is NOT price. It doesn't need to be cheaper. There is already cost justification, the end user just doesn't always realize it at first. Understanding that the Average DialUp user is paying $35 a month already (line and service). The problem is that broadband is to cheap. So large players can't justify expansion into lower profit centers, by subsidees of higher paying subs. The problem is that users DO NOT HAVE OPTIONS. USERS HAVE NOT BEEN SOLICITED WITH PROPER SALES AND MARKETING TO CONVINCE THEM THEY NEED IT, BECAUE IT IS POINTLESS WHEN IT IS NOT AVAILABLE. I think the duopoly is doing a great job of marketing and lowering the ARPU to get everyone on the internet. But I am still amazed when I ask people for an email - and they don't have one! - Peter -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ -- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.1.405 / Virus Database: 268.12.5/451 - Release Date: 9/19/2006 -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/
Re: [WISPA] Lack of Competition
Scriv,Congrads on the spectrum win. What are you doing about equipment to operate in that spectrum range? Tom DeReggi RapidDSL Wireless, Inc IntAirNet- Fixed Wireless Broadband - Original Message - From: Mark Koskenmaki [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: WISPA General List wireless@wispa.org Sent: Thursday, September 21, 2006 2:55 AM Subject: Re: [WISPA] Lack of Competition I can only imagine. +++ neofast.net - fast internet for North East Oregon and South East Washington email me at mark at neofast dot net 541-969-8200 Direct commercial inquiries to purchasing at neofast dot net - Original Message - From: John Scrivner [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: WISPA General List wireless@wispa.org Sent: Wednesday, September 20, 2006 4:39 PM Subject: Re: [WISPA] Lack of Competition Here is an idea for a federal policy plan to end the broadband access problems. How about Base Station Licenses instead of 10,000 square mile licenses like we do now. Anyone could buy a Base Station License. Heaven forbid a regular person should be allowed to compete with a Megasuck.net RBOC! Someday I will share with all of you what it is like to be part of the license auction system as I just went through in the AWS auction. Root canals are more fun. Scriv Mark Koskenmaki wrote: - Original Message - From: Peter R. [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: WISPA General List wireless@wispa.org Sent: Wednesday, September 20, 2006 11:19 AM Subject: Re: [WISPA] Lack of Competition It is a lack of federal policy. Every nation that has a federal policy on teelcom/BB/internet has strong penetration and competition - and cheaper rates. Granted there are lots of debates about why some countries are cheaper, and have more users, but the fact remains that the FCC has failed - FAILED - in its charge of ensuring competition and upholding the Telecom Act of 1996. Heck, they don't even enforce merger requirements nor spectrum purchase requirements. Without a clear plan, laser focus, and habitual execution, you usually have failure. The notion that the federal government can actually create a policy or program to provide something that is better than free enterprise is absurd on it's face, and evidence suggests that is the worst possible means of attempting to do anything. I will agree that there have been a lot of federal failures, but they relate to over-regulation, the creation of monopolies, and a failure at being good stewards of the public trust. Add this all up, and you have to wonder why on earth people think the federal government should EVER be considered as being responsible for much of anything in our daily lives. - Peter Mark Koskenmaki wrote: I can't believe that someone would be dumb enough to write this... The biggest problem is a lack of FEDERAL POLICY Oh, please. Spare us the insane idiocy... -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ -- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.1.405 / Virus Database: 268.12.5/451 - Release Date: 9/19/2006 -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/
Re: [WISPA] Lack of Competition Leaves U.S. 16thAmong IndustrializedNations
I think what we really need is more telecommuting. That will help drop out dependence on petrol, reduce the loads on the roads, save hours per day for some folks, help moms stay home with the kids etc. I think it would also help de-urbanize the country and make it much harder for terrorists to do such large damage. It would also help people be safer (crime is usually lower in the country). I think that telecommuting will be the next really big ap that hits. Marlon (509) 982-2181 Equipment sales (408) 907-6910 (Vonage)Consulting services 42846865 (icq)And I run my own wisp! 64.146.146.12 (net meeting) www.odessaoffice.com/wireless www.odessaoffice.com/marlon/cam - Original Message - From: Peter R. [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: WISPA General List wireless@wispa.org Sent: Monday, September 18, 2006 11:14 AM Subject: Re: [WISPA] Lack of Competition Leaves U.S. 16thAmong IndustrializedNations We are actually at the point where about 68% of the US population has Internet. The rest don't own a computer or do not want Internet. Some of that 68% is still on dial-up. For some it is a price thing. For some it is not understanding technology. For some it is to make the experience painful to avoid wasting hours on the internet. So dropping the price - as SBC and VZ have experienced - to sub-$15 gets you some dial-up conversions. But when the price returns to normal, some switch back to cheaper dial-up. The dilemma becomes How do you get more internet appliance (PC's, laptops, PDAs, internet terminal) penetration? The marketing question is: What Remarkable Useful things can you do with broadband (other than entertainment)? That's my 2 cents. Peter @ RAD-INFO, Inc. -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/
Re: [WISPA] Lack of Competition
Tom DeReggi wrote: Scriv,Congrads on the spectrum win. Thank you. What are you doing about equipment to operate in that spectrum range? That is the $100,000 question right now. 802.16e for mobility and fixed wireless is designed strictly for TDD use. I have paired frequencies which are generally relegated to some type of FDD system like those used in the cellular industry. There are some next gen choices in that area that I am looking at. I personally believe someone will adapt 802.16e to work in FDD whether it is standards compliant or not. Then I will likely choose that. I could use 802.16d gear like BreezeMax but I really want to offer mobility as well as fixed which is not an option with 802.16d. Nortel is working on me pretty hard right now. We'll see where this goes. It is going to be a while before I can get the incumbent users of my bands relocated so I have some time to ponder. Scriv Tom DeReggi RapidDSL Wireless, Inc IntAirNet- Fixed Wireless Broadband -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/
Re: [WISPA] Lack of Competition Leaves U.S. 16thAmong IndustrializedNations
Marlon, Shouldn't that actually be wirelesscommuting or wificommuniting or wommuting? :) Travis Microserv Marlon K. Schafer (509) 982-2181 wrote: I think what we really need is more telecommuting. That will help drop out dependence on petrol, reduce the loads on the roads, save hours per day for some folks, help moms stay home with the kids etc. I think it would also help de-urbanize the country and make it much harder for terrorists to do such large damage. It would also help people be safer (crime is usually lower in the country). I think that telecommuting will be the next really big ap that hits. Marlon (509) 982-2181 Equipment sales (408) 907-6910 (Vonage)Consulting services 42846865 (icq)And I run my own wisp! 64.146.146.12 (net meeting) www.odessaoffice.com/wireless www.odessaoffice.com/marlon/cam - Original Message - From: Peter R. [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: WISPA General List wireless@wispa.org Sent: Monday, September 18, 2006 11:14 AM Subject: Re: [WISPA] Lack of Competition Leaves U.S. 16thAmong IndustrializedNations We are actually at the point where about 68% of the US population has Internet. The rest don't own a computer or do not want Internet. Some of that 68% is still on dial-up. For some it is a price thing. For some it is not understanding technology. For some it is to make the experience painful to avoid wasting hours on the internet. So dropping the price - as SBC and VZ have experienced - to sub-$15 gets you some dial-up conversions. But when the price returns to normal, some switch back to cheaper dial-up. The dilemma becomes How do you get more internet appliance (PC's, laptops, PDAs, internet terminal) penetration? The marketing question is: What Remarkable Useful things can you do with broadband (other than entertainment)? That's my 2 cents. Peter @ RAD-INFO, Inc. -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/
Re: [WISPA] Lack of Competition
I wouldn't think you would be required to use FDD. 802.16e supports varying channel widths, so you could for example deploy a multi-point system with two 10Mhz channels or six 3Mhz channels all TDD. -Matt John Scrivner wrote: Tom DeReggi wrote: Scriv,Congrads on the spectrum win. Thank you. What are you doing about equipment to operate in that spectrum range? That is the $100,000 question right now. 802.16e for mobility and fixed wireless is designed strictly for TDD use. I have paired frequencies which are generally relegated to some type of FDD system like those used in the cellular industry. There are some next gen choices in that area that I am looking at. I personally believe someone will adapt 802.16e to work in FDD whether it is standards compliant or not. Then I will likely choose that. I could use 802.16d gear like BreezeMax but I really want to offer mobility as well as fixed which is not an option with 802.16d. Nortel is working on me pretty hard right now. We'll see where this goes. It is going to be a while before I can get the incumbent users of my bands relocated so I have some time to ponder. Scriv Tom DeReggi RapidDSL Wireless, Inc IntAirNet- Fixed Wireless Broadband -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/
Re: [WISPA] Lack of Competition
The NTIA only allows the use of the 1710 to 1720 MHz band that I now have in CMA401 to be used with a max EIRP for the system (radio plus antenna) of 1 watt and a max height above average terrain of 30 feet. Their is NO practical use of 1710 to 1720 MHz as a tower base station frequency, period. It can ONLY be used at client ends. The base station end has to be in the 2110 to 2120 MHz band which can transmit at hundreds of watts EIRP. These unbalanced power levels may make this look like a dead deal for 1710 to 1720 for any use but remember that all PCS client radios (cell phones) operate at far below 1 watt EIRP. AWS can work as a broadband platform but only as a FDD based system. It also probably means that a different modulation scheme will be required for the client to base path because of the skewed power levels which probably means assymetrical bandwidth offerings. I can live with that if it means I can serve everyone inside a given geography without running signal tests all the time. I want to sell customers a card or a phone or a PDA and be done with it. That is the whole reason to do this kind of a deal. Truck rolls are killing this industry from my perspective. We need to build networks that just work everyplace without having to do installations at every single customer location. That is the dream I am hoping to experience. I'll let you know how well that works out after a few million in Capex and a few years getting it all built. Wish me luck. I'll need it. :-) Scriv Matt Liotta wrote: I wouldn't think you would be required to use FDD. 802.16e supports varying channel widths, so you could for example deploy a multi-point system with two 10Mhz channels or six 3Mhz channels all TDD. -Matt John Scrivner wrote: Tom DeReggi wrote: Scriv,Congrads on the spectrum win. Thank you. What are you doing about equipment to operate in that spectrum range? That is the $100,000 question right now. 802.16e for mobility and fixed wireless is designed strictly for TDD use. I have paired frequencies which are generally relegated to some type of FDD system like those used in the cellular industry. There are some next gen choices in that area that I am looking at. I personally believe someone will adapt 802.16e to work in FDD whether it is standards compliant or not. Then I will likely choose that. I could use 802.16d gear like BreezeMax but I really want to offer mobility as well as fixed which is not an option with 802.16d. Nortel is working on me pretty hard right now. We'll see where this goes. It is going to be a while before I can get the incumbent users of my bands relocated so I have some time to ponder. Scriv Tom DeReggi RapidDSL Wireless, Inc IntAirNet- Fixed Wireless Broadband -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/
Re: [WISPA] Lack of Competition
Which stat don't you like Tom? The PEW Report: http://www.pewinternet.org/pdfs/PIP_Digital_Divisions_Oct_5_2005.pdf As of May-June 2005, 68% of American adults, or about 137 million people, use the internet, up from 63% one year ago. Thirty-two percent of American adults, or about 65 million people, do not use the internet and not always by choice. Certain groups continue to lag in their internet adoption, including Americans age 65 and older, African- Americans, and those with less education. Numbers vary depending on the poll/survey/source. From America's Network: Some 62 million Americans are still using their telephone lines to dial into the Internet, according to recent figures from the Pew Internet and American Life Project. Other figures from research firms like Forrester show that only about 40% of Americans have high-speed connections at home, 30% rely on dial-up and 25% don’t have any Internet connections at all! So how come the US is lagging behind most of the developed world in broadband access? Some analysts cite price as a factor, but that seems doubtful. DSL deals from Verizon and ATT often are priced below monthly dial-up rates, and millions of cable television customers can get cable-modem service packaged at a discount with their TV and phone service. So why stick with slow dialup? The main problem seems to be the free-market telecom frenzy that has enveloped the US (and much of its population) in technology and price uncertainty. With no national broadband policy in place, multiple service providers are targeting affluent urban areas, while leaving many poor and rural dwellers to fend for themselves. In big cities, that means consumers face daunting broadband choices. Should they sign a contract with their cable provider or telco? Wait for the installation of a Wi-Fi network? Choose an alternate provider like EarthLink? And which broadband technology is the best? Many just stick with what they know best: the slow but reliable telephone. Even the service providers themselves are confused. A plan by the city of West Hollywood, Calif. to install Wi-Fi has stalled for two years because the local utility company can’t decide whether to grant a right-of-way for the equipment on its lampposts. Inevitably, this is going to change, but the change would come much more quickly if a national policy and direction were put into place, consumers knew what to expect and the service providers better focused their efforts. Until then, Americans will have another reason to worry about the rise of China. - Doesn't matter if you like or believe the numbers. The fact is that Broadband growth has stalled. So ISPs have to find out why (fear, tired on PC troubles, too much crap, don't need the internet, no PC to use) in order to have growth in those flattened or no-growth areas. - Peter http://radinfo.blogspot.com/2006/09/broadband-policy.html Tom DeReggi wrote: Peter, I do not agree with those statistics. Why would anyone prefer DialUp for the same price? Don't think so. A large part of that 68% are DialUp Users NOT by choice. Tom DeReggi RapidDSL Wireless, Inc IntAirNet- Fixed Wireless Broadband - Original Message - From: George Rogato [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]; WISPA General List wireless@wispa.org Sent: Monday, September 18, 2006 7:49 PM Subject: Re: [WISPA] Lack of Competition Leaves U.S.16th Among IndustrializedNations Peter R. wrote: We are actually at the point where about 68% of the US population has Internet. The rest don't own a computer or do not want Internet. Some of that 68% is still on dial-up. For some it is a price thing. For some it is not understanding technology. For some it is to make the experience painful to avoid wasting hours on the internet. So dropping the price - as SBC and VZ have experienced - to sub-$15 gets you some dial-up conversions. But when the price returns to normal, some switch back to cheaper dial-up. The dilemma becomes How do you get more internet appliance (PC's, laptops, PDAs, internet terminal) penetration? The marketing question is: What Remarkable Useful things can you do with broadband (other than entertainment)? That's my 2 cents. Peter @ RAD-INFO, Inc. -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/
Re: [WISPA] Lack of Competition
It is a lack of federal policy. Every nation that has a federal policy on teelcom/BB/internet has strong penetration and competition - and cheaper rates. Granted there are lots of debates about why some countries are cheaper, and have more users, but the fact remains that the FCC has failed - FAILED - in its charge of ensuring competition and upholding the Telecom Act of 1996. Heck, they don't even enforce merger requirements nor spectrum purchase requirements. Without a clear plan, laser focus, and habitual execution, you usually have failure. - Peter Mark Koskenmaki wrote: I can't believe that someone would be dumb enough to write this... The biggest problem is a lack of FEDERAL POLICY Oh, please. Spare us the insane idiocy... -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/
Re: [WISPA] Lack of Competition
It is a lack of federal policy. Every nation that has a federal policy on telecom/BB/internet has strong penetration and competition - and cheaper rates. Granted there are lots of debates about why some countries are cheaper, and have more users, but the fact remains that the FCC has failed - FAILED - in its charge of ensuring competition and upholding the Telecom Act of 1996. Heck, they don't even enforce merger requirements nor spectrum purchase requirements. Without a clear plan, laser focus, and habitual execution, you usually have failure. - Peter Mark Koskenmaki wrote: I can't believe that someone would be dumb enough to write this... The biggest problem is a lack of FEDERAL POLICY Oh, please. Spare us the insane idiocy... -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/
Re: [WISPA] Lack of Competition
Disparaging remarks of this nature are dysfunctional. Opinions are like assholes; everybody has one but nobody wants to hear it. - cw Mark Koskenmaki wrote: I can't believe that someone would be dumb enough to write this... The biggest problem is a lack of FEDERAL POLICY Oh, please. Spare us the insane idiocy... +++ neofast.net - fast internet for North East Oregon and South East Washington email me at mark at neofast dot net 541-969-8200 Direct commercial inquiries to purchasing at neofast dot net The main problem seems to be the free-market telecom frenzy that has enveloped the US (and much of its population) in technology and price uncertainty. With no national broadband policy in place, multiple service providers are targeting affluent urban areas, while leaving many poor and rural dwellers to fend for themselves. In big cities, that means consumers face daunting broadband choices. Should they sign a contract with their cable provider or telco? Wait for the installation of a Wi-Fi network? Choose an alternate provider like EarthLink? And which broadband technology is the best? Many just stick with what they know best: the slow but reliable telephone. -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/
Re: [WISPA] Lack of Competition
I've got an anal sphincter too! http://wimax-coverage.com/wimax-access-wireless-internet-service-why.html two words: Qual-Comm =) -- Robert Q Kim, Internet Advisor Provider http://wireless-internet-access-provider.com http://wimax-coverage.com 2611 S. Pacific Coast Highway 101 Suite 203 Cardiff by the Sea, CA 92007 206 984 0880 -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/
Re: [WISPA] Lack of Competition
ps... i guess i shoulda quoted the last post... oops! Disparaging remarks of this nature are dysfunctional. Opinions are like assholes; everybody has one but nobody wants to hear it. - cw On 9/20/06, Robert Kim Wireless Internet Advisor [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: I've got an anal sphincter too! http://wimax-coverage.com/wimax-access-wireless-internet-service-why.html two words: Qual-Comm =) -- Robert Q Kim, Internet Advisor Provider http://wireless-internet-access-provider.com http://wimax-coverage.com 2611 S. Pacific Coast Highway 101 Suite 203 Cardiff by the Sea, CA 92007 206 984 0880 -- Robert Q Kim, Internet Advisor Provider http://wireless-internet-access-provider.com http://wireless-internet-broadband-service.com 2611 S. Pacific Coast Highway 101 Suite 203 Cardiff by the Sea, CA 92007 206 984 0880 -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/
Re: [WISPA] Lack of Competition
- Original Message - From: Peter R. [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: WISPA General List wireless@wispa.org Sent: Wednesday, September 20, 2006 11:19 AM Subject: Re: [WISPA] Lack of Competition It is a lack of federal policy. Every nation that has a federal policy on teelcom/BB/internet has strong penetration and competition - and cheaper rates. Granted there are lots of debates about why some countries are cheaper, and have more users, but the fact remains that the FCC has failed - FAILED - in its charge of ensuring competition and upholding the Telecom Act of 1996. Heck, they don't even enforce merger requirements nor spectrum purchase requirements. Without a clear plan, laser focus, and habitual execution, you usually have failure. The notion that the federal government can actually create a policy or program to provide something that is better than free enterprise is absurd on it's face, and evidence suggests that is the worst possible means of attempting to do anything. I will agree that there have been a lot of federal failures, but they relate to over-regulation, the creation of monopolies, and a failure at being good stewards of the public trust. Add this all up, and you have to wonder why on earth people think the federal government should EVER be considered as being responsible for much of anything in our daily lives. - Peter Mark Koskenmaki wrote: I can't believe that someone would be dumb enough to write this... The biggest problem is a lack of FEDERAL POLICY Oh, please. Spare us the insane idiocy... -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/
Re: [WISPA] Lack of Competition
company. Every local government should be asking themselves, who is in town and how many of them can we help and in what way. Because these are the guys that care about their local town, and know their towns first hand. The day this happens, the politics and public deception will be over. It will take a long time for the small independant provider to tackle the problem alone. But if the governement had the guts to start spending consumers tax dollars to help the army of small providers help the consumers, it could happen a lot faster. They need to stop begging money and help from the big companies, and use tax dollars whats it for, helping the people. If they spent just a fraction of what they budget for Public Safety and Homeland security, to help small providers, the problem would be solved. Dial Users would quickly start to switch to their friendly local broadband provider. The problem today, is the Urban is handled by default, RUS handles the lowest 1% of the market, but the other 59% of them go unrepresented. If the small providers had the help, they could easilly do the volume that is needed to encourage manufacturers to built better cheaper gear. And with better cheaper gear, ISPs could develop value propositions to make broadband affordable to convert Dial Up from. Tom DeReggi RapidDSL Wireless, Inc IntAirNet- Fixed Wireless Broadband - Original Message - From: Peter R. [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: WISPA General List wireless@wispa.org Sent: Wednesday, September 20, 2006 9:58 AM Subject: Re: [WISPA] Lack of Competition Which stat don't you like Tom? The PEW Report: http://www.pewinternet.org/pdfs/PIP_Digital_Divisions_Oct_5_2005.pdf As of May-June 2005, 68% of American adults, or about 137 million people, use the internet, up from 63% one year ago. Thirty-two percent of American adults, or about 65 million people, do not use the internet and not always by choice. Certain groups continue to lag in their internet adoption, including Americans age 65 and older, African- Americans, and those with less education. Numbers vary depending on the poll/survey/source. From America's Network: Some 62 million Americans are still using their telephone lines to dial into the Internet, according to recent figures from the Pew Internet and American Life Project. Other figures from research firms like Forrester show that only about 40% of Americans have high-speed connections at home, 30% rely on dial-up and 25% don’t have any Internet connections at all! So how come the US is lagging behind most of the developed world in broadband access? Some analysts cite price as a factor, but that seems doubtful. DSL deals from Verizon and ATT often are priced below monthly dial-up rates, and millions of cable television customers can get cable-modem service packaged at a discount with their TV and phone service. So why stick with slow dialup? The main problem seems to be the free-market telecom frenzy that has enveloped the US (and much of its population) in technology and price uncertainty. With no national broadband policy in place, multiple service providers are targeting affluent urban areas, while leaving many poor and rural dwellers to fend for themselves. In big cities, that means consumers face daunting broadband choices. Should they sign a contract with their cable provider or telco? Wait for the installation of a Wi-Fi network? Choose an alternate provider like EarthLink? And which broadband technology is the best? Many just stick with what they know best: the slow but reliable telephone. Even the service providers themselves are confused. A plan by the city of West Hollywood, Calif. to install Wi-Fi has stalled for two years because the local utility company can’t decide whether to grant a right-of-way for the equipment on its lampposts. Inevitably, this is going to change, but the change would come much more quickly if a national policy and direction were put into place, consumers knew what to expect and the service providers better focused their efforts. Until then, Americans will have another reason to worry about the rise of China. - Doesn't matter if you like or believe the numbers. The fact is that Broadband growth has stalled. So ISPs have to find out why (fear, tired on PC troubles, too much crap, don't need the internet, no PC to use) in order to have growth in those flattened or no-growth areas. - Peter http://radinfo.blogspot.com/2006/09/broadband-policy.html Tom DeReggi wrote: Peter, I do not agree with those statistics. Why would anyone prefer DialUp for the same price? Don't think so. A large part of that 68% are DialUp Users NOT by choice. Tom DeReggi RapidDSL Wireless, Inc IntAirNet- Fixed Wireless Broadband - Original Message - From: George Rogato [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]; WISPA General List wireless@wispa.org Sent: Monday, September 18, 2006 7:49 PM Subject: Re
Re: [WISPA] Lack of Competition
Wow, if they really believe that, I wonder how they expect the American public to buy a car? Gee, Ford, Chevy, GMC, KIA, Toyota, Subaru ... Econo, Sedan, Van, SUV, Pickup ... Sheesh, I guess I'll just walk to work. Buying groceries oh Lord I'm suprised we haven't starved to death in the canned goods aisle trying to decide what type of tomato sauce to buy, roasted garlic, low salt, herb and butter ... I can't speak for Urban areas as I don't live in one or serve one, but in BFE where we have 3 ISPs. I know several people that don't have internet, don't have a computer and don't want one (don't know how they function, just saying I see it regularly). I also know several people that only have dialup, and know that they pay $20/mo for dialup when they can get my bottom end wireless for $25/mo and not tie up their phone line. They are not interested, they use it to send the occasional email and that is it. I've tried marketing to them, I've laid it out, but they persist in not spending the extra $5 dollars. I doubt they would spend an extra $2. I have a $30 plan for 390K and a $40 plan for 2M, more than 80% of my customers are on the $30 plan because it meets their needs. It doesn't matter to them that for only $10 more a month they can get 5 times the speed. Mark Koskenmaki wrote: I can't believe that someone would be dumb enough to write this... The biggest problem is a lack of FEDERAL POLICY Oh, please. Spare us the insane idiocy... +++ neofast.net - fast internet for North East Oregon and South East Washington email me at mark at neofast dot net 541-969-8200 Direct commercial inquiries to purchasing at neofast dot net The main problem seems to be the free-market telecom frenzy that has enveloped the US (and much of its population) in technology and price uncertainty. With no national broadband policy in place, multiple service providers are targeting affluent urban areas, while leaving many poor and rural dwellers to fend for themselves. In big cities, that means consumers face daunting broadband choices. Should they sign a contract with their cable provider or telco? Wait for the installation of a Wi-Fi network? Choose an alternate provider like EarthLink? And which broadband technology is the best? Many just stick with what they know best: the slow but reliable telephone. -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/
Re: [WISPA] Lack of Competition
Tom DeReggi wrote: Peter, Other figures from research firms like Forrester show that only about 40% of Americans have high-speed connections at home, 30% rely on dial-up and 25% don’t have any Internet connections at all! I do not disagree with those statistics. I disagree with your statement that most DialUp users are DialUp users by choice, and that most people that don't have Internet are doing so by choice. I think you are inferring there, but I know several people who keep dial-up (mostly with AOL) because of the pain of change, including my sister, who could get SBC DSL by Yahoo for less than her AOL account. So yeah many are on it on purpose. A buddy keeps dial-up at home so his kids will not get addicted and be on MySpace all night. Again on purpose he has dial-up. The facts are, 60% of America is under served, which is both embaressing for the US, and a call for opportunity. In todays world, there is justification for every home in America to have broadband and to have a computer. Not having a computer, is no longer a valid arguement. Even the most impoverished homes, can manage to budget to buy a $300 computer from BestBuy, that includes monitor and printer. Yeah. People on welfare buy PC's. They buy Xbox. It's a status and social thing. But I won't write a thesis on it. Again this is from personal experience. Or for that matter to get a FREE used donated computer. A pentium pc, does Broadband fine (although slow and problematic). The reason people do not buy broadband, is NOT price. It doesn't need to be cheaper. There is already cost justification, the end user just doesn't always realize it at first. Understanding that the Average DialUp user is paying $35 a month already (line and service). The problem is that broadband is to cheap. So large players can't justify expansion into lower profit centers, by subsidees of higher paying subs. The problem is that users DO NOT HAVE OPTIONS. USERS HAVE NOT BEEN SOLICITED WITH PROPER SALES AND MARKETING TO CONVINCE THEM THEY NEED IT, BECAUE IT IS POINTLESS WHEN IT IS NOT AVAILABLE. I think the duopoly is doing a great job of marketing and lowering the ARPU to get everyone on the internet. But I am still amazed when I ask people for an email - and they don't have one! - Peter -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/
[WISPA] Lack of Competition Leaves U.S. 16th Among Industrialized Nations
U.S. Still Lags In Broadband Access Lack of Competition Leaves U.S. 16th Among Industrialized Nations By Martin H. Bosworth ConsumerAffairs.Com September 17, 2006 The constant refrain of major telecommunications and cable companies is that there's heavy competition for the Internet user's dollar. But heavy competition doesn't mean being able to choose only between Comcast and Verizon, and a newly published report reminds us that the United States still lags far behind the rest of the world in providing affordable broadband to its citizens. Broadband Reality Check II, an update to a report published last year by Consumers Union, the Consumer Federation of America, and media policy group Free Press, found that the United States continues to promote duopolies between major telecom and cable providers as real competition, that the level of Americans' access to the Internet can be severely restricted by income level and geographic area, and that the FCC uses misleading statistics to claim that competition is healthy for consumers. America appears to be a land of broadband haves and have-nots, where rural and low-income citizens are left behind in the information economy, the report stated. This situation is the result of failed policy and a lack of imagination and vision from our policymakers. Among the report's findings: • The United States continues to rank 16th among industrialized nations for broadband development and penetration. Not only that, but broadband customers in countries such as Japan and South Korea enjoy broadband speeds that are hundreds of times faster, and can enjoy bundled television, phone, and Internet services for $25-$35 dollars, roughly the same price as a standalone U.S. broadband connection. • The U.S. broadband market is essentially a series of regional duopolies, with the top four cable and telephone companies -- Comcast, Verizon, ATT, and Time Warner -- controlling over 83 percent of the entire broadband market, while buyouts and mergers of companies like ATT and BellSouth serve to reduce actual competitive markets even more. • The FCC continues to use ZIP codes that register one broadband provider as proof that broadband penetration is comprehensive across the U.S. But a recent report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that the ZIP code method didn't account for the lack of more than one provider in any given region. • The GAO also found that rural households and families with incomes of less than $30,000 were four times less likely to have broadband Internet access than urban households or those with incomes $75,000 and higher. A full third of American households are still stuck with dial-up as their only choice for Internet access. The report comes at a time when telecommunications issues are very much on the minds of lawmakers. The massive update to the Telecommunications Act of 1996 had many provisions to address broadband access, most of which favored the duopoly system, and seemed ready to pass both the House and Senate. But consumer groups and technology companies were angered over the lack of protection for net neutrality, the right of any Internet user or content provider to access the Interent on an equal footing with others. They launched a massive grassroots campaign that drew media attention to the cozy state of affairs for the telcos and cable companies Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), author of the Senate's version of the telecom bill, recently acknowledged that the bill was all but dead and would have to be partitioned into individual bills to have any chance of passing. One portion of both the House and Senate bills addresses the concept of publicly-funded municipal wireless networks, or Municipal Wi-Fi for short. Although many cities and towns are developing their own wireless systems for free or low-cost use, heavy telecom lobbying has pushed 15 states to ban any sort of initiatives for Wi-Fi. Telecom companies such as ATT are determined to roll-out high-speed broadband networks and provide platforms for TV over Internet services such as MobiTV. The company favors tiered pricing models that will enable only the richest clients to pay for the best service. Critics fear that without truly affordable broadband and equal access to content, the digital divide between rich and poor will continue to grow, and the middle-class users will be stuck in the slow lane of Internet access. As the authors of the Broadband Reality Check put it, Faith-based policy and wishful thinking will not bring broadband to rural areas, and the repeated use of misleading data will not help low-income consumers afford broadband. http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2006/09/cfa_broadband.html --- --- -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/
Re: [WISPA] Lack of Competition Leaves U.S. 16th Among IndustrializedNations
I get more and more frustrated with these kinds of titles... You'd think there wasn't broadband available. There's broadband available in an amazingly wide area... But you can't force consumers to buy it. This is probably just the first volley of a campaign to gin up a few hundred billion to give to the telcos as subsidy to lower the price of broadband... We should be very wary of this kind of misleading stuff, it's going to bite us big time if we don't speak up and get some real perspective seen. +++ neofast.net - fast internet for North East Oregon and South East Washington email me at mark at neofast dot net 541-969-8200 Direct commercial inquiries to purchasing at neofast dot net - Original Message - From: Dawn DiPietro [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: WISPA General List wireless@wispa.org Sent: Monday, September 18, 2006 3:27 AM Subject: [WISPA] Lack of Competition Leaves U.S. 16th Among IndustrializedNations U.S. Still Lags In Broadband Access Lack of Competition Leaves U.S. 16th Among Industrialized Nations By Martin H. Bosworth ConsumerAffairs.Com September 17, 2006 The constant refrain of major telecommunications and cable companies is that there's heavy competition for the Internet user's dollar. -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/
Re: [WISPA] Lack of Competition Leaves U.S. 16th Among IndustrializedNations
We are actually at the point where about 68% of the US population has Internet. The rest don't own a computer or do not want Internet. Some of that 68% is still on dial-up. For some it is a price thing. For some it is not understanding technology. For some it is to make the experience painful to avoid wasting hours on the internet. So dropping the price - as SBC and VZ have experienced - to sub-$15 gets you some dial-up conversions. But when the price returns to normal, some switch back to cheaper dial-up. The dilemma becomes How do you get more internet appliance (PC's, laptops, PDAs, internet terminal) penetration? The marketing question is: What Remarkable Useful things can you do with broadband (other than entertainment)? That's my 2 cents. Peter @ RAD-INFO, Inc. -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/
Re: [WISPA] Lack of Competition Leaves U.S. 16th Among IndustrializedNations
Peter R. wrote: We are actually at the point where about 68% of the US population has Internet. The rest don't own a computer or do not want Internet. Some of that 68% is still on dial-up. For some it is a price thing. For some it is not understanding technology. For some it is to make the experience painful to avoid wasting hours on the internet. So dropping the price - as SBC and VZ have experienced - to sub-$15 gets you some dial-up conversions. But when the price returns to normal, some switch back to cheaper dial-up. The dilemma becomes How do you get more internet appliance (PC's, laptops, PDAs, internet terminal) penetration? The marketing question is: What Remarkable Useful things can you do with broadband (other than entertainment)? That's my 2 cents. Peter @ RAD-INFO, Inc. I agree with you, I still have a considerable amount of dial up subscribers. There needs to be a motivator, other than price, that makes these types of users decide to trade up. They have to want to. And I thought giant pictures killing their email would have done the trick by now :( George -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/
