Nice job! You said most of our talking points on this, I only wish all Congress would remember where they come from and give their WISP a call, maybe more members could do what you did and initiate the call to get the dialogue started. While USF is outside of Congress the FCC sure listens to them so it never hurts to educate Legislators to what the lobbyists for our competition fails to do, Fixed Wireless is a major player.
Thanks, Forbes On 11/1/2011 10:56 AM, MDK wrote: > Monday morning I got a phone call from a 202 number and answered it. The > name sounded vaguely familiar, but he finally identified himself as the > assistant to my congressman. Ahh, now I know why I recognize the name. > Been in politics around here for many years. State and federal. > > Thursday or Friday, I stumbled across a news story of my US Rep praising the > FCC's "changes" to USF, which, from descriptions, look bad for me and most > of us, as it involves "subsidizing rural wireless" (insert cellular for > "wireless" and you get the gist) I was ticked as you can imagine, because > he's literally from a small town where WISP's play a signficant role in > broadband availablity. > > Well, I guess I must have used the right combination of words, because he > (the assistant to my US Rep) wanted to know what it was I thought. Well, > we had 20 minute conversation, where I explained that we as an industry are > often the only viable operators for small "niche" areas where it simply is > impossible to string wires or bury cables or whatever, in a cost effective > manner (and he knows precisely what I mean, he drives the same roads and > knows the same places I do), and now, someone's going to apply to get USF > money to come and build right out over us, with subsidized funding. > > He didn't disagree with that assessment, btw, and asked what I thought > should be done. Abolish, of course. In his view, the term of life for > continual subsidy of rural telecom via USF has been abruptly shortened, and, > they're at least talking about ending any continuous subsidy for anyone. Of > course, they can't end USF, because Congress made it law, but ending it is > certainly an option in House, he implied. > > Further, we've reached the point where much of rural broadband is hampered > by beaurocratic obstruction as much as anything else. the need to use > public land, or telephone pole access, or power pole access, federal land > use, and numerous other expensive and complicated matters. I explained > that it has traditionally been that people with great skill for beaurocracy > get the money, but rarely seem to have great skill at getting customers > happy and resourceful at accomplishing the technical challenges. That > subsidy causes business models to be built on it, rather than sustainable > competitive operations. > > That we need the markets open to being able to enter the phone, tv, and > internet business with whatever the appropriate technology, without endless > hurdles in our way. No idea if it did any good, but at least one person, > who is at the top of the issues that matter to us in the house, got some > input from the ground level. > > > > > ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ > Neofast, Inc, Making internet easy > 541-969-8200 509-386-4589 > ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ > > > > > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > WISPA Wants You! Join today! > http://signup.wispa.org/ > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > 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 message. > Checked by AVG - www.avg.com > Version: 2012.0.1834 / Virus Database: 2092/4589 - Release Date: 11/01/11 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WISPA Wants You! Join today! http://signup.wispa.org/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/
